2014 Free Reads Challenge Recap

Challenge:  Free Reads Challenge
Host:  Bookish Ardour
2014 Level: Bargain (30 books) - COMPLETED!

Thoughts:  Free Books are pretty easy to come by, and are most often very good.  Will definitely try again next year.

1. Love Me If You Must by Nicole Young

2. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

3. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya

4. Once by Morris Gleitzman

5. Perfect Nightmare by Norman Stanton

6. Along the Way Home by Christi Corbett

7. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

8. Greystone Valley by Charlie Brooks

9.  Spell Struck by Ariella Moon

10. Rotters by Daniel Kraus

11. Spellbound by Samantha Combs

12. The Demon's Wife by Rick Hautala

13. Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore

14. After the War by Libby Sternberg

15. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

16. Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach

17. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

18. The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

19. A Stormy Knight by Amy Mullen

20. Get Jiro! by Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, & Langdon Foss

21. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

22. The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley

23. Clan Lord by Joel Babbitt

24. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross

25. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

26. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

27. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

28. Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

29. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

30.The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke

The Boy Who Could See Demons

Title: The Boy Who Could See Demons
Author: Carolyn Jess-Cooke

Publisher: Delacorte
ISBN: 978-0-345-53653-2

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This is a wonderful, fictional look at mental illness in children...and Jess-Cooke delivers a stunning twist at the end.  A really well-constructed read.

Rating: 4 stars

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Title: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Publisher: Blackstone Audio
ISBN: 9780786105113

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I think I prefer Sherlock Holmes stories one at a time.  This many all at once just made them seem so similar.  I can appreciate how Doyle was a pioneer in the mystery field, but the story that I liked the best was the most gothic, "The Adventure of the Copper Beaches".

Rating: 3 stars

Death Cloud

Title: Death Cloud
Author: Andrew Lane

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
ISBN: 9781427211224

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This was a good old-school teen mystery.  Some of the action, though, felt like it came out of nowhere, but the mystery was solid and very thought-provoking (like you would expect from a Holmesian novel), even if the denouement was a little early.

Rating: 4 stars

The Prince and the Pauper

Title: The Prince and the Pauper
Author: Mark Twain

Publisher: Blackstone Audio
ISBN: 9781441795991

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I think I just did not like the style, or maybe it is because I knew the concept of the story, but I had a very hard time pay attention to this one even though I liked the narrator's voice and he did an great job narrating.  I tried reading it when I was younger, and could not get into it then, either.

Rating: 2 stars

The False Prince

Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Publisher: Scholastic Audio
ISBN: 978054577222

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  While, as usual, I was able to pick out the twist almost from the start, I loved this.  The intrigue makes for a highly entertaining listen, and Sage's personality keeps the reader coming back.

Rating: 5 stars

The Emperor's Soul

Title: The Emperor's Soul
Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Tachyon
ISBN: 978-1-61696-092-6

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This is a perfect novella.  The characters are all complete, the story is well-paced, and the end is satisfying but really makes you think. 

Rating: 5 stars

Enduring Courage

Title: Enduring Courage
Author: John F. Ross

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1-4272-3923-5

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I had never heard of Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI Ace, before, but his life was very interesting.  I actually found his years of racing before any safety standards come out to be the most exciting.  This is simply a wonderful biography.

Rating: 4 stars

Clan Lord

Title: Clan Lord
Author: Joel Babbitt

Publisher: Author
ISBN: 9781940880013

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  Babbitt's sci-fi world is well-imagined, even if I could not figure out exactly how the humans got to this planet filled with a flying monkey-like race, and why exact they needed them.  Razz is an interesting protagonist, although the title kind of gives away what happens to him in this first installment. 

Rating: 2 stars

The Dumbest Idea Ever!

Title: The Dumbest Idea Ever!
Author: Jimmy Gownley

Publisher: Graphix
ISBN: 978-0-545-45347-9

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Graphic Novels, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This graphic memoir is cute and good for middle grade readers.  It has a great message about following your dreams and really made me want to check out Gownley's fictional works.

Rating: 3 stars

Grave Mercy

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781464023835

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, British Books, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, YA Mythology, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  With a kick-ass heroine and plenty of court intrigue, Grave Mercy is a very fun read.  LaFevers has a very unique concept for this trilogy and I love how she really brought out the medieval feel with the gods of old Brittany.

Rating: 4 stars

Get Jiro!

Title: Get Jiro!
Author: Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, & Langdon Foss

Publisher: Vertigo
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2827-9

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Graphic Novels, Dystopia, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  Imagine a world where food is the only business left.  This is the premise for this highly imaginative dystopian.  Foss's artwork is not exactly my thing - one of the main characters just does not look right to me - but Bourdain (yes, that Anthony Bourdain) and Rose's storyline is exciting and not too unrealistic.

Rating: 4 stars

A Stormy Knight

Title: A Stormy Knight
Author: Amy Mullen

Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-62135-176-4

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: E-Book, Historical Fiction, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I loved the mystery and the secret passages, but the romance in this fell a little short for me as the characters seemed to flip flop too much. I did also enjoy the historical aspects as I do not read much set in the Middle Ages.

Rating: 3 stars

The Peculiar

Title: The Peculiar
Author: Stefan Bachmann

Publisher: Green Willow
ISBN: 978-0-06-222769-0

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Normally, I enjoy listening to books, but this is one I wish I had read.  I had trouble understanding some of the voices which made it hard to focus on the story.  What I did get, though, was a cute story with a great cliffhanger.

Rating: 3 stars

Carter Finally Gets It

Title: Carter Finally Gets It
Author: Brent Crawford

Publisher: Brillance Audio
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I don't know when I have last read a book that portrayed a 14-year-old boy so exactly.  This was frickin' hilarious!  Might just even hit a tad close to home for readers of the same age as the protagonist.  The only thing I didn't get was that these teens did not seem to have cell phones.

Rating: 5 stars

Two-Room Flat

Title: Two-Room Flat
Author: Jill Urbach

Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-62135-187-0

Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: E-Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This really was a cute story.  You knew what would happen, but that is just fine.  The only thing I wished Urbach did a little more of was having the main characters forgive each other for the event that drew them apart in the first place.

Rating: 3 stars

Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley

Publisher: Listening Library
ISBN: 9780736685986

Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: Audio, British, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: OK, so I seem to have really known nothing about the original Frankenstein story.  Turns out, there is no Igor and the monster ends up with a wonderful command of language.  There is also a tremendous lack of action, so I am very glad I listened to this instead of reading it or I never would have finished.  I will say, though, I now understand the beginning of the movie I, Frankenstein much better.

Rating: 2 stars

After the War

Title: After the War
Author: Libby Sternberg

Publisher: Istoria
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: E-Book, Historical Fiction, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Bittersweet, this highly character-driven tale portrays a moving picture of the lives of those affected by WWII.  Also, a very interesting look at convent life pre-Vatican II.

Rating: 3 stars

Conscientious Inconsistencies

Title: Conscientious Inconsistencies
Author: Nancy Jane Moore

Publisher: Book View Cafe
ISBN: 9781611382587

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: E-Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: These stories were all interesting, but not all were my cup of tea.  I enjoyed "A Mere Schutcheon", probably because I am a fan of high fantasy.  "The First Condition of Immortality" is probably the best of the bunch, a very unique look at mortality.  "Homesteading" was a solid dystopia, but left me feeling rather sick.  And "Three O'Clock in the Morning" was incredibly disturbing, even more so with the second person narrative.

Rating: 3 stars

The Demon's Wife

Title: The Demon's Wife
Author: Rich Haulata

Publisher: JournalStone
ISBN: 978-1-936564-98-9

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: E-Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This is a fun and unique read about a demon wanting to go good for a woman. The story is intricate, but the ending seems rushed and just not fully formed.

Rating: 3 stars