Books of the year

So, I'd thought I'd post a list of the books I've read so far this year. I think it's about 12 or 13... not sure. But that is much more books than I usually read! A lot of books I end up just putting down and never finishing. So here's my list.

Forest Born by Shannon Hale-- 3 stars. I absolutely love the first and third books, The Goose Girl and River Secrets, in her Bayern series, but somehow this one just didn't grab me. The main character seems void of character and there's a theme the author keeps coming back to that is just used way to much. Also, her writing style has changed, and I find that I like the tone of River Secrets a whole lot more.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, and The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan-- 5 STARS!!!! Oh my goodness. One of THE best series I have ever read. Strongly, strongly recommended. Mr. Riordan crafts compelling story lines, twisting plots, and lovable, "real" characters. I fell in love with the first book and am now a die-hard fan. Thanks to my uncle for giving me the first book and my friend Olivia for recommending it!!!♥

The Wall and the Wing by Laura Ruby-- 3 stars. I started out liking this book, but it kind of went down hill from there. Nothing bad in it-- the writing just needed a lot of editing. Also, some things just got too bizarre and far-fetched.

The Thirteenth Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner-- 2 stars. This book started out good, but as with the previous, just kept going farther and farther down. The main character was horribly cliche, and nothing about him made me want to root for him. The other characters were sometimes interesting, but the writing needed some serious editing. It made me want to make my books better. Not recommended. (there's nothing bad in it, just bad writing)

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart-- 4 stars. Great book!!! The characters were funny (though one was a wee bit cliche), the writing was good and kept me reading, and the plot was very original. At first when i started it, I was like, "This is going to be one of those little kid books were nothing is ever serious" but I am sooo glad that I was proved wrong. Highly recommended!

Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep-- 4 stars. Normally, I never would have read this book, but I read it for school, and I'm glad I did. It's about the Chinese working on the railroad in the American west. The main character was very likable, not the cliche wimpy kid like most of the main characters in my school books. Good writing, good characters-- highly recommended!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner-- 4 stars. I dragged my feet through a lot of this book. My sister kept nagging me and nagging me to read it, but the beginning was just so darn boring that I had a lot of trouble picking it back up. However, at one point it suddenly just picked up, and from there I was hooked! I have never read another book like this. The ending was shocking. The characters are so also very well-written and likeable; I came to love them by the end of the book. Absolutely stunning, gorgeous book. Highly recommended!

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane-- 1 star. I don't mean any offense to the author or fans of this book, but I really did not like it. It took me and mom weeks to read. I didn't like the writing, the characters, the setting, the plot. One thing that particularly irked is that while the author gave his main character a name, Henry, he never called him by that. So annoying. Not recommended.

The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley-- 3 stars. I really liked the concept of this story, and over all the writing was good. I just wished it hadn't gotten so... strange in the middle. I can't decide whether or not I liked the characters, though the main character was better than most female characters. Nevertheless, it was a good read and quick read-- I read it in 4 and half hours! Recommended.

There you go, all of the books I've finished so far in 2010! What books have you read, and which have been your favorites? I love your comments!

♥Caroline♥