Reading Challenge's for 2011

Reading Challenges 2011:


I will also be joining in on doing Chicklitplus's Chick lit reading challenge this year. I have personally set a goal to read 100 books next year, 12 of which will need to be chick lit to succeed in this challenge as well as finishing up my A-Z challenge hosted by Karen of OCDofBooks, as well as the DAC(Debut Authors Challenge hosted by The Story Siren. If you want to check out my progress for this challenges they will be posted on the right column of my blog and will be updated frequently. Links are provided below for all challenges and would love for you to join me in this exciting year of challenges!! 

Chicklitplus Chicklit Reading Challenge:  http://chicklitplus.com/chick-lit-reading-challenge-2011/

Debut Authors Challenge: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/11/2010-debut-author-challenge-information.html

A-Z Challenge: http://ocdaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/z-book-title-challenge.html

Witch Child By: Celia Rees

This book is based on the diaries of Mary Newberry that escapes the witch-hunts in England to come settle into America, and her struggles and fears.


This book sounded so interesting as the stories of the salem witch trials and witch-hunts always intrigued me, but this story didn't do it for me. The beginning with the death of her grandmother that was thought to be a witch, i thought it was going to lead into so much more, but it was more about her travels to America from England, then her struggles on people thinking she was a witch, in fact i didn't even feel i was reading a story based on "witch" at all. There wasn't anything really supporting that focus and it left me dissapointed, I would still like to read the second novel "The Sorceress" to see where she goes with the story, but after reading this im not expecting anything more then medicore.


3 out of 5 stars

The Road By: Cormac McCarthy

I really really wanted to like this book, but i found that i was dissapointed. After reading "No Country for Old Men", i had high expectations and i felt let down. I needed time after reading this to really think about how i wanted to rate it and what i wanted to say in the review. I honestly felt like it missed out on a lot of key elements for me, particurally the beginning and the ending i felt were really weak. What led to this whole postapocalyptic world and what caused humans to be dangerous and eat other human beings. Also the ending didn't satisfy what happened to the boy, his father passed away, but what the heck happened to him?? did he make it or didn't he? I just really thought this book would be more then it was, and left me dissapointed.




3 out of 5 stars

Malice By: Danielle Steel

Seventeen year old Grace Adams on the day of her mother's funeral is attacked, but this isn't the first time she's been attacked by this person, and her struggle leads to drastic measures that land her in jail. After her years spent in jail, she can not get away from the disturbing night of her mothers funeral, and the past struggles seem to follow her everywhere she goes. When the whole world seems against Grace she meets Charlie Mackenzie and live seems to take a turn for the better, but will her past destroy her future?


I really thought I was going to LOVE this book from Danielle Steel because from reading the synopsis it sounded completly different then the typical love stories that i have read by her. It seemed darker, more disturbing, and less focused on the aspect of love. As disturbing as this story was, i think it sensationalized all the struggles she went through. If it had focused on the main problem in the story i think it would have been portrayed in a better way. It got to a point where it seemed unbelievable that she was going through another problem. She couldn't even overcome one issue without another issue arising out of nowhere, and that for me made the story lose its impact. As im sure tragedy like this can occur, i just didn't feel the story was very believable.


The characters on the other hand i really enjoyed. Grace Adams was such a strong, compassionate and lovable character and you really felt her pain and empathized with her. I think she overcome some really tragic and tough obstacles, and it made me think of what i would have done in her shoes, and if i would have had the strength to overcome all that she did.


Overall, i think this book is worth checking out, it is different from any other Danielle Steel novel i've read, and while i couldn't put it down because i wanted to know what happened to Grace, the story just overwhelmed me with tragedy overload.


3 out of 5 stars