Anne of Green Gables

Book 6 of 2018 is the Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

This is a re-read of a childhood classic and favourite of mine. I loved it more now than I did then. Yes, that is possible. I cringed, laughed and cried again.

I will not continue the series because I do know it well. Starting with the first book again was simply wonderful. Not a mistake to read this again.

5 imaginings out of 5.

Should I read this? Every little girl should read this.
What did I learn? Anne taught me young that it was OK to focus on things that others didn't quite care about because one day those things would matter.

Golden Son

Book 76 is Golden Son which is book 2 of The Red Rising series by Pierce Brown.

This series continues to challenge what I think is right and what is reality. I'd like to think I'd handle things better but I'm not sure if Darrow does what we all would: A mix of right and what must be done.

Still one of the best series to come true in the last few years. Coloured people, politics and entitlement all mixed in modern relevance.

4 betrayals out of 5.

Should I read this? If you want some philosophically challenging science fiction.
What did I learn? I would never be a revolutionary.

Hunter

Book 69 is Hunter by Mercedes Lackey.

Another fantasy book with an interesting premise and a strong independent heroin. Her hounds of hell are vicious but kind, a little like she is.

The competition is a little too easy for the main character. She wins everything, with so much power at hand. The Hunger Games balanced the competition a lot better than this book does. It is still enjoyable and I may continue to the series.

3 hell hounds out of 5.

Should I read this? Yeah, it's entertaining and enjoyable if you like fantasy and strong female characters.
What did I learn? I do not want the gates of hell to open... ever.

All These Worlds

Book 67 is All These Worlds, which is book 3 of the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor.

Rarely have I liked a trilogy this much. There were tough moments but all in all, this was an original and wonderful idea.

The only other time I have seen this idea of alternate selves was in ultimate dimensions. Taylor solves this with one dimension and the idea of slight differences in instantiations of the same person.

You know Bob 0 is no longer around.

A brilliant series worth reading, despite the slow middle bit.

4 Bobs out of 5.

Should I read this? For all modern sci-fi fans.
What did I learn? White middle-class male entitlement may persist hundreds of years into the future but at least I'll be dead.

Hidden Bodies

Book 65 is Hidden Bodies which is book 2 of the You series by Caroline Kepnes

I found the first book from this series intriguing since it was told from the point of view of a serial killer. Since then, I've read a few books in this style and a lot of them are better.

This book read less like a driven sociopath and more like a childish sociopaths. Not how I enjoy my sociopaths but I will read the next book in the series when it comes out and see if it improves.

The certainty of the killer as he is in the first book was more interesting. The chaos and devolution feels out of synch with this, especially considering the random stressors.

3 self-centered thoughts out of 5.

Should I read this? Maybe. Depends on if whether you like being in the mind of an entitled fragile little serial killer.
What did I learn? I know people who don't kill people but do process the world this way.

Around the World in Eighty Days

Book 62 is Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.

This is the 11th book Verne wrote in the Extraordinary Voyages series and one that I am shocked to not have read yet, considering I know the story so well.

What surprised me about the story is that there is no hot air balloon travel at all. Not a single mention of it.

Phileas Fogg is one of the least penetrable yet most interesting central characters I've ever read. He is the central pivot point in the story with the world made up of interesting characters, situations and exceptions rotating around him. I would never have seen that in a movie version.

The twists and solutions are intelligent although sometimes contrived but it all fits together perfectly.

You must remember that time this was written to not cringe at the cultural insensitivity and sexism.

I must read the rest of the series now. And no, order does not seem to matter.

4 idiot travel buddies out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. Read it to your kids or to yourself. You'll enjoy it.
What did I learn? I want to travel around the world in 80 days now but only five star.

Scarecrow Returns

Book 61 is Scarecrow Returns from the Shane Schofield series by Aussie Matthew Reilly.

This is book four. I accidentally missed book 2 for some unknown reason but it hadn't made too big a difference. The author re-explains where all the old characters came from and how they have been damaged by books past.

Those constant recaps is why this is an airport book. You can pick up any one in the series at an airport and read it without any real commitment to anything but the story in front of your face.

This series is why I know a lot about military aircraft and also why I have a very rational fear of killer whales. This particular book is better than the last with more humour and less self pity which is what you want from a stuff blows up and science is stretched a little further than reality.

A fun romp through a radioactive mutant polar bear infested acid island full of a killer mercenary cult. Oops spoiler! But then you could just read that on the back of the book.

3 stereotypical characters out of 5.

Should I read this? Sure, it's fun.
What did I learn? I now know that an osprey isn't just a bird.

Huntress Moon

Book 59 is Huntress Moon which is book 1 of The Huntress series by Alexandra Sokoloff.

This book is published by employer but the opinions here are my own and unrelated to them.

At work each day, I walk past a poster of this book. I finally decided that I had to read the book about the female serial killer with the long winding road. That was about all I knew about it when I picked it up.

I am very glad I did pick it up.

The two characters that take turns bringing the story together are a disturbed young woman with clear rules to her world that have her honing in on a specific night; and a noir style FBI agent who spots the huntress in a second and begins to hunt her. He looks back in her life as she focuses forward.

It is well written with the unravelling of her purpose and the construction of her past. Nothing feels formulaic and there are those moments when you accept that you didn't see that coming.

I have already bought the second book in the series and will be getting to it soon.

4 bad bad men out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes for all the serial killer fans.
What did I learn? Dangerous women are twice as dangerous because no one expects a woman.

Finnikin of the Rock

Book 58 is Finnikin of the Rock which is book 1 of the Lumatere Chronicles by Aussie author Melina Marchetta.

My friend Vicky recommended I read this when we were randomly discussing fantasy books and I am so glad she did. With a solid trilogy already published, I see this distracting me for hours.

As always with female authors (and not surprisingly), the female characters are strong, multi-layered and interesting to read. So are the men. I really wish male authors could start doing this well.

The main character is a young man who doesn't whine or whinge about slights to his entitlement. The female lead plays his second, yet holds a higher standing to him.

This is well written and the world well imagined.

5 girls broken but strong out of 5.

Should I read this? Only if you like fantasy. If so, then YES.
What did I learn? I am learning to pick the kind of fantasy I like better and wasting less time on rubbish. Recommendations help now that people know what I like.

La Belle Sauvage

Book 57 is La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman.

Having never read The Golden Compass, I picked up this book because everyone was excited about it. Yes, yes, I didn't ask why they were excited.

This is obviously a very well established and thought through world and that came across in this famous prequel. I didn't feel I was missing anything except maybe nostalgia in picking this up first.

On of my next series will have to be His Dark Materials, for sure.

5 spirit animals out of 5.

Should I read this? This would suit most ages and fiction appetites, so yes.
What did I learn? I need to read the children's classics that I missed.

The Vicious Vet

Book 43 of 2017 is The Vicious Vet which is book two from the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton.

After enjoying the first book, I've quickly returned to the second and can see myself dispersing the next 26 in the series between the books I read over the next few years. That is assuming the series stays strong and honours its Miss Marple roots.

The love interest bores me a little but that might be my dismissive-of-all-lovey-dovey-rubbish stage of life. Actually, that may be why I like the main character so much. She's secure, no-nonsense and independent, even when she has a love interest. The character that is her love interest bores me. Too British and reserved for my liking.

This series is worth the read if you have read every Agatha Christie book ever written multiple times and need something that you don't know the ending to.

4 suspicious neighbours out of 5.

Should I read this? For all the Miss Marple fans.
What did I learn? Not all crimes are planned out.

Daughters of Dragons

Book 41 of 2017 is Daughter of Dragons from The Legacy of Dragons series by Jack Campbell.

Consumed this as an audio book, read by the always enjoyable MacLeod Andrews. Yes, I'm now following him on Instagram. Must be something to do with being read to bed each night.

Didn't realise that this was about the daughter of the protagonist from The Dragons of Dorcastle which I read in mid-2015 and didn't love. This is about her whiny daughter who I can compliment on growing up faster than her mother did.

The one reason I like this more is the Earth connection. It's like reading a meta version of the previous series.

Don't go out of your way for this but if you like Young Adult novels, you may enjoy it.

3.5 stamp collections out of 5.

Should I read this? Maybe if you like young adult lit and dragons.
What did I learn? Writers have a voice and accent.

The Quiche of Death

Book 36 of 2017 is The Quiche of Death which is book one from the Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton.

Another free book that has me hooked on a series. This series will take the place of me not getting to watch the BBQ regularly since moving to the US.

It is obviously a modern take on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple but done tongue in cheek through flowing prose.

Like Miss Marple, this all takes place in a sleepy little hamlet with nosey neighbours, helpful police one step behind our heroine and baking competitions of death.

With 27 books in the series, this will give me my Agatha Christie fix at regular intervals between other books.

4 baked goods from ovens other than the ones claimed out of 5.

Should I read this? For Christie fans the world over, yes.
What did I learn? Old habits die hard.

A Closed and Common Orbit

Book 33 of 2017 is A Closed and Common Orbit by Beck Chambers.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, I gifted e-books to two of my friends and insisted they read it. It was not as well received as I had hoped but that is ok. I really really like this series.

Despite the fact that the characters I became attached to in the first book were not major characters in this one, the established world and its species differentiation made this very enjoyable.

There were quite a few ethical challenges for me around artificial intelligence. I was uncomfortable a number of times with certain choices made but Chambers makes this easy to swallow.

If you start any series this year, start this one.

4 lines of altered code out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. A solid series to commit to.
What did I learn? I am human biased. I am not sure how to change that but I am thinking about it now.

Carve the Mark

Book 32 of 2017 is Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth.

Yes, THAT Veronica Roth. She wrote the Divergent series. And we all know I loved that series. Possibly even more than The Hunger Games.

Roth does not disappoint in this well written, philosophically challenging and original series start that proclaims are brilliant female protagonist. She has dimensions that don't make her complicated but instead make her relatable. That is what I love about this book.

My only complaint is that I read this before the next one was written. Amateur move, for sure. Now I'm hanging out for the rest of the series.

5 marks carved out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. You will enjoy it, no matter who you are.
What did I learn? I still don't like Hollywood endings. Challenge me and I'll love you.

The Dwarves

This book does not count towards my Read Books for 2017 because after 427 of 733 pages (or 59%) and 7 months elapsed in which I read 30 other books, I am throwing in the towel. This is not a book that I can finish.

As a typical Tolkien fan, the blurb for this book appealed greatly. Reviews were good and even the D&D community were stoked at the series. I kept wanting to buy it but refused to pay the $40ish price tag that is the norm for 7-800 pagers.

I plowed through about 200 pages before it became monotonous and predictable. Chapter after chapter was the same and nothing made me want to persist other than my insistence on finishing what I start.

Alas, not this time.

This is not a good book and is one I will give one star too. I do not recommend it.

Hopeless Magic

Book 30 of 2017 is Hopeless Magic from the Star-Crossed series the by Rachel Higginson.

I read the first book from this series a month ago and enjoyed it enough to want to read the second book.

After finishing this arduous read with a whining teenage girl and her band of merry teenage men chasing her along with the "once you have sex you are bonded for life" message, I was glad it ended. There will be no more reading from this conservative non-subtle instruction on how young women cause trouble by speaking their minds and should think carefully of who they will marry because he owns you forever.

It. Was. Painful.

This had to have been written by a middle aged suburban housewife who wished she had never married her boring muggle husband.

1 spoilt Omaha teenage victim out of 5.

Should I read this? No. The first book ends implying more lies ahead in this book but nothing does.
What did I learn? First books in a series should be standalone.

Glass Sword

Book 27 of 2017 is Glass Sword. It is the second book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard.

It took me so long to read the second book in this series because the first book didn't do much for me. Everyone was raving about it but it felt too much like a young teen girl-in-love bore. The second book improves greatly though. This has ensured that I will read the next one.

One thing I would like authors to stop doing is writing middle books like the 0.5 or 1.5 books in a series. It's just money making and waters down the quality of the series to me.

4 dead silver bloods out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. Read it directly after the first to improve the first book and continue the series.
What did I learn? I enjoy female protagonists who aren't concerned with their many love interests and instead fight for their cause. Need more books like that.

Reckless Magic

Book 26 of 2017 is Reckless Magic from the Star Crossed series by Rachel Higginson.

This is another young adult fantasy series but it stands alone. Someone horrible said it was a cross between Twilight and Harry Potter. I want to slap that idiot. This is quite original in many ways. Being written by a woman means the female characters are not weak pathetic girly girls in love but more like Katniss in her strength and kindness.

There are irritating teenage girl moments but that soon is done with as the characters grow.

This is a series that I will continue when my brain is tired and I want a little read. Absolutely one I will enjoy.

3 magical talents out of 5.

Should I read this? Only for young adult book fans.
What did I learn? I love easy to read series and that's why I like Young Adult literature.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Book 25 of 2017 is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet from the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers.

Everyone I know is reading this and loving it so I could not avoid it much longer. Only reason for avoidance is to stop starting new series when I have so many on the go.

This is a brilliant series about race, ethics and space. There is nothing I did not enjoy about this book so yeah, I recommend it to any sci-fi fan.

There are a lot of characters introduced in this first book. This can be done badly with too much to take in while adjusting to a new Universe and mythology. Chambers does it brilliantly.

The affection is not just boy and girl falling in love but many different kinds of friendship and interaction. All of it executed brilliantly. I put this down to a female author. My quest to read more female authors has paid off well.

This is Blade Runner crossed with Fifth Element and Star Trek with very few creases.

4 races out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes to absolutely everyone. This is sci-fi for the masses since it is written so well.

What did I learn? In the spirit of Pride, love is love.