January - April 2018 in Books
Here's a very quick overview and some notes of the books that I've read/am reading since the beginning of the year.No spoilers! Just very vague bullet points :).
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld: C-
Uglies Series Book 2
Good:
* Interesting Plot Premise
* Unpredictable Plot Twists
Bad:
* Unlikable Characters that I didn't connect with
* Writing Style Lacks Descriptiveness
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Graceling by Kristin Cashore: A-
Graceling Series Book 1
Bad:
* Abrupt Ending
Good:
* Pacing
* Strong Characters
* Believable Relationships and Character Chemistry
First Year by Rachel E. Carter
First Year by Rachel E. Carter: B-
Black Mage Series Book 1
Bad:
* Naive Characters
* Predictable Plot Line
Good:
* Fast Paced
* Engaged
Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter
Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter: B-
Black Mage Series Book 2
Bad:
* Immature Writing
* Underdeveloped World
* Predictable Plot Twists
* Flip-floppy Main Character
Good:
* Realistic Timeline
* Likable Characters
Candidate by Rachel E. Carter
Candidate by Rachel E. Carter: B
Black Mage Series Book 3
Bad:
* Immature Characters
* Inconsistent Pacing
* Plot Driven by Characters' Assumptions rather than real events
Good:
* Complex Relationships
* Interesting Politics
* Better Written Plot Twists than prequels
Poison Study by Maria V. Synder
Poison Study by Maria V. Synder:A-
Chronicles of Ixia Book 1
Bad:
* Limited Scope of Setting in First Half
* Inconsistent Pacing
* Less World Building in First Half
* Better Second Half than First
Good:
* Strong & Realistic/Complex Protagonist
* Believable Relationships
* Strong Chemistry between Characters
* Unique Plot Line
* Mature
Magic Study by Maria V. Synder
Magic Study by Maria V. Synder: B+
Chronicles of Ixia Book 2
Bad:
* Nonchalance of Characters to Mature Situations (could have been milked better)
* Less Chemistry Between Characters
*More Naïve Main Character
Good:
* Fast Paced
* Engaging
* Strong Characters
* Complex Relationships
* Increased World Building
A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa
A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa: A
Audiobook Narrated by Brian Nishii
Bad:
* Abrupt Ending
Good:
* Raw
* Emotional
* Engaging
* Unrehearsed Writing Style
Books on the "Reading Now" List:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder