Book #14

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore

Robin Sloan

This was a book club book and it was really phenomenal. I loved loved loved all the characters, and the story itself was fast paced and interesting. And when I say love three times, I mean that I sincerely want to meet every single one of the people mentioned in this book, whether they were good or not. They were all awesome and cool. The book primarily takes place in California, but it switches to New York for a little bit, and I love a good New York shout out.

As usual, I want to write more but I have no time. I am done with finals, but am going on a mini-road trip tomorrow with a friend to Cape Cod. I just loaded the new "Vampire Weekend" and "The National" albums to my ipod, and have three books packed with me. Ill let you know how it goes!

1/86

Book #13

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

J.K. Rowling

I dont think it is possible for me to fangirl properly about Harry Potter. My love for the series is too great for words. I practically forgot what happened in "Half-Blood Prince", which I think is possibly the funniest and saddest at the same time. In summation, all I can really do is quote two lines from the book that practically made me cry:

Chapter 25- The Seer Overheard

"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," said Harry.

Chapter 26- The Cave

"I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."


Sob. Now on to the last one.

I dont think I mentioned it, but I have been saving the fifth Game of Thrones book, "A Dance with Dragons", till I finish the HP series. I'm a big fan of GoT, and they're the perfect summer books. For those who have read GoT, you may be puzzled as to why, and how, I have prolonged my reading of the latest book. Well, its been very hard, and Ive been dying to read it, but George R.R. Martin takes years to write his books, so I need to savor everyone. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn't read it until I completed the Harry Potter series. It's taken longer than expected, but one more book and "Dance with Dragons", here I come. The question is, dear readership of FIVE, do I reread all the GoT series, or just pick up with the newest one? Thoughts?

Book #12

The Truth About Forever

Sarah Dessen

It's finals time, and clearly I should not be reading anything that is not related to my classes. But I am. I know 100 books are probably not going to happen, so I've lowered my standards to smaller numbers. I want to have read 15 books by the end of May, which averages 3 books a month. 3 more to go on a small scale, 88 on a larger one.

Anyways, a quick little paragraph. I love Sarah Dessen and her chick-lit genre. I'm not a big tv watcher, so reading her books is my escape. They dont require that much brain power, and are super enjoyable and easy reads. An added bonus are the butterflies that usually pop up in your stomach while reading them. Her characters are well developed, and her couples are cute and sweet. "The Truth About Forever" is a reread for me. It's not my favorite Dessen novel, but it is up there. Macy and Wes are cute and relatable as a pair, and I can totally understand Macy's relationship with her mother. It's fun, it's quick, and it makes me feel like it's almost summer. 

I read somewhere that Dessen is coming out with a new book soon, which is pretty darn exciting. Be sure to look out for it appearing on the list later on this year. Probably around August, when I can go to the beach, sit on the sand, look at the waves and read. Dessen's novels usually connect to Colby, a quaint beach town somewhere on the coast. Maybe by reading her new novel on the hot, polluted city beach I'll feel more like a relaxed Colby inhabitant. Who knows. It's worth a shot. 

3/88 to go.

Book #11

Wild

Cheryl Strayed

So I told you guys I would be reading this after I finished "A Walk in the Woods" and I lived up to that claim. This is my second non-fiction book this year, the second hiking book this year and the eleventh book in general. 

Just to compare this and "A Walk in the Woods" for a second: "Wild" is about a young woman, "Walk" is about a middle-aged man. "Wild" is about the PCT, the Pacific Crest Trail, on the West Coast (duh) and "Walk" is about the AT, the Appalachian Trail, on the East Coast. "Wild" reads like a memoir, "Walk" as a funny info book.

I don't know why, but I am so drawn to hiking. And by hiking, I mean the hiking that happens in "Wild" and "Walk"; trail hiking, long distance hiking, staying out in the woods for weeks on end. The kind of hiking that would leave me with pictures that looked like this:

But really, I know hiking like Cheryl Strayed did in "Wild" is a living hell. I know it because she told me so, in a charming, lively, funny way. She goes to hike the trail to find herself, and she does, along with a bunch of rattle snakes, deer, elk, bears, blisters, missing toe nails, intense heat and huge piles of snow. It's a really great book, and as hard as she makes hiking the PCT sound, she also makes it sound wild and alluring. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough and try to hike a little bit. Maybe.

But for now, hiking is in my future just as much as finishing 100 books in a year is. 

11 down, 89 to go. Books, not miles.

Book #10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

J.K. Rowling

I lied. I am not going to go crazy fangirl on my readership of four for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'll do it for Half Blood Prince, which I already started and forgot how much I love.

I really forgot how much I love all of these books.

I SAID I WOULD'NT FANGIRL.

10 down, 90 to go.

Book #9

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline

It's late, and I'm tired, and I didn't really love this book.

Maybe I'll write some more about it some day, maybe not.

Good night. And good luck.

I need it.