Darian's 2013 Book of the Year

Hello! It's Darian again. I'm here with my bracket for the year of 2013. I have used Goodreads to help me track my book ratings for the year. 

My bracket consists of 32 books out of the 41 that I read this year. The way I decided which 9 didn't make it was to decide my favorite out of the ten 2 or 3 star books, which was The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle. This book went in with the other 4 and 5 star books. 

Here's the list of the 41 books I read in 2013:

(Since a lot of the books Darian read this year were from the Children's Illustrated Classics series, the versions can be difficult to find on Goodreads. Because of this, a lot of his books will not have pictures of the cover in the post.) 

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins : 5 stars

2. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan : 5 stars

3. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger : 5 stars

4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins : 4 stars

5. Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan : 4 stars

6. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan : 4 stars

7. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan : 4 stars

8. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan : 5 stars

9. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott : 4 stars

10. The Magician by Michael Scott : 4 stars

11. The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan : 4 stars

12. The Sorceress by Michael Scott : 4 stars

13. The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting : 3 stars

14. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede : 4 stars

15. Doctor Doolittle's Circus by Hugh Lofting : 4 stars

16. The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan : 3 stars

17. Swiss Family Robinson - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

18. Huckleberry Finn - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

19. The Prince and the Pauper - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

20. Pinocchio - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

21. The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

22. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

23. Treasure Island - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

24. Oliver Twist - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

25. White Fang - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

26. The Jungle Book - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 2 stars

27. Beauty and the Beast - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

28. Peter Pan - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

29. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

30. Little Women - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

31. The Wind in the Willows - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

32. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

33. Great Expectations - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

34. The Secret Garden - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

35. A Little Princess - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 3 stars

36. The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

37. Gulliver's Travels - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

38. Frankenstein - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

39. Black Beauty - Treasury of Illustrated Classics : 4 stars

40. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card : 5 stars

41. The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan : 4 stars

The way I got each candidate was by taking the 4 and 5 star books, as well as The Voyages of Doctor Doolittle and putting them randomly into a slot with a number generator. The way I decided who won out of each two was to take my rating of them and if there was a 4 and a 5 then the 5 would win. If there was a 4 and a 4 or a 5 and a 5 I would choose the one that I liked best and they would make it to the next round. Here is my bracket of the 32 candidates:

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card won as my favorite book that I read in 2013. Choosing between The Lost Hero and The Throne of Fire was pretty hard because they're both by the same author (Rick Riordan) and his way of writing is really good. Other ones, like Serpent's Shadow vs. Ender's Game were pretty close. I would say that the final two was probably the hardest out of all.

At first, Ender's Game seems kind of mellow, but then it gets into more of an action type of book. It seems to change the theme from action to mystery to all sorts of other ones. Finally, at the end, everything is solved and although it does leave off all of a sudden, it leaves off at a good place so that it doesn't leave you wondering about that much.

The Lost Hero did include humor and action and adventure, but it really just didn't have that many mysteries. It was kind of plain. (Although there is one large mystery of that series.) It was just more ordinary of a book than Ender's Game.

The genre of Ender's Game is sci-fi adventure and action with a hint of mystery. I would recommend it to people who can oversee the military part of it and the children cussing. I really loved this book because it was just awesome and there is always something that you're not expecting.

This year I'm going for 32 books again to make a good bracket. I am planning on finishing up some of the series that I have left, such as The Lost Hero series, the Ender's Game series, and the Alchemyst series. I'm planning on going after some harder books than the Illustrated Classics, maybe even the originals.

I'm planning on the next blog post from me being when I finish the current book I'm reading, Jane Eyre. I've started with the children's version, but I'm going to switch to the original. I'm planning on doing reviews on books that I give 4 and 5 star ratings this year.

I recommend that you look through my bracket and see some of the books and compare them for yourself. I definitely recommend (if you can get past the bad parts) reading Ender's Game. I also recommend The Lost Hero and its entire series.

2013 Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon: Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee

The Read-a-Thon continues! Go check out all of the fun over at Read-a-Thon Central.

Today's participation post is "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee"...it's all about favorite female characters. Let's hit it!

Elle :

I kind of gave away my favorite female in yesterday's post on summer favorites.

Yup. My favorite is Jane Eyre. She's just plain awesome. She's strong and speaks her mind. She looks out for herself well in a time when women were just all too frequently shuffled under the rug. I love how she handles her relationship with Mr. Rochester, not becoming a shrinking violet or bowing to his every whim. She makes sure that her needs are met and that she's treated with the respect she deserves. What a cool chick.

Sure...it's Victorian England and she's probably a little traditional, dressed in her long-sleeved, long skirted dresses, corseted to the hilt, but that's not how I see her. In my mind's eye, she's got the look of the average girl: brown hair, average weight. She has a clear complexion with somewhat pale skin, but a healthy blush to her cheeks. If she were a modern woman she would be dressed in jeans, a cute blouse and cute heels or even a mid-calf retro style skirt. In fact, I don't think that Mia Wasikowska was a bad choice for playing her in the most recent Hollywood movie version of the book (though I admit that I haven't seen it yet).

Mia Wasikowska

Modern day Jane would be in a position of power, as a manager or a small business owner of some kind. She might potentially be a professor, as she shows a great aptitude towards the field of education. She is friendly and kind, but she makes her desires known. She is not one to push around. She is honest about her intentions and equally upfront about her expectations of others.

Jane Eyre is quite honestly the girl I want to be. I just love her. Sometimes there just isn't anything to beat a classic.

I'm loving this read-a-thon! I'm "meeting" a pile of nice people with great tastes in books and I'm getting a lot of reading accomplished. I finished Alice I Have Been last night and have now started on Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. I figured it was time for some nice light YA Fiction.

And now that I've done my post for the day...back to reading!


Darian :

This is kind of a hard decision because I've read so many good books with good female characters. My favorite would have to be Scathach the Warrior Maid from The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott.

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Scathach is my favorite female character because all martial arts were based off of her skills, she speaks many languages, and she is set on protecting the twins (Sophie and Josh). Another reason I really like Scathach is because of how she can take out pretty much a whole army without taking any hits. She's tough and smart.

I imagine her as a red-haired seventeen-year-old. She's pale skinned and has sharp teeth, as she is a next generation (child of the elders) and vampire. She is a vegetarian...a different type of vampire than the blood sucking ones. I kind of imagine her as an average height and average weight. She wears black combat boots and (I would imagine) black clothes.

I Google searched a teen actress to see who would best fit the way I think Scathach would look in real life. Her name is Danah Marks...I have literally no idea who she is, but all she would need to do is to dye her hair red.

Danah Marks

So far, I am about one-third of the way through the book The Magician by Michael Scott. This book may get through a couple of rounds in my BOTY for this year...meaning it's pretty good.

I will continue writing on these posts because the Read-a-Thon is awesome. Bye for now!

2013 Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon: You're the One That I Want

It's reading time!!

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Are you participating in the Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon? It's a no pressure, at your own pace read-a-thon hosted by the Pink Ladies over at Read-a-Thon Central. Sign ups are open until July 6th!

Darian and I started off our read-a-thon last night with a bang. He made it until midnight before he crashed out and I stayed up until nearly 2 a.m. I have to say...I'm loving the book I'm reading. I was so excited to start Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. I knew nothing about the real woman behind Alice in Wonderland  before beginning this book and I have been sucked in. In fact, I've been becoming a frequent visitor of Wikipedia and Google search in order to find out more about the real history of the novel. I'm fascinated.

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Today's participant post for the read-a-thon is intended to help spread the word about favorite books and summer must haves. What a wonderful idea! I'm always on the hunt for another good book. Friends tease me that I have so many books that I want to read that I'll never be able to read them all, but I think I'm just a little bit of a book hoarder. That's the way I show the love, people. ALL THE BOOKS!!

To give you a dual perspective, both Darian and I are providing you with our favorite books and go-to summer reads. Happy reading everyone!!

Elle :

I love a good book and I very rarely find books that I don't like. But...I certainly have my favorites and there are books out there that I would read over and over again without any question. My number one pick has remained the same for over a decade.

Yes, it's a little musty and a little old school, but Jane Eyre will always be my first love. I could read that book a million times and never be sick of it. Jane is such a great character. She is strong and yet still womanly. I love how she holds her ground. Besides...I'm a sucker for a semi-unconventional love story. Haven't read it yet? Why not!?! Yes...it's a classic, but it's not boring. I promise. Well worth the read.

(Click any of the photos for more information on these awesome books!!)

I have a whole host of other favorite books. Always good picks? My winners of my 2011 BOTY (Book of the Year) and my 2012 BOTY.

  

Already read those? Try these! (In no particular order.)

Darian :

I would recommend any Rick Riordan book. 

 

My favorite book is The Mark of Athena. 

I would also recommend The Hunger Games series.

The How to Train Your Dragon series I would read over again and recommend.

I'll keep on reading for the Read-a-Thon!

2013 Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon: Day One - Class Orientation

The Read-a-Thon has begun! Not signed up yet? Head over here by July 6th.

Day 1 is Class Orientation. Let's get to know each other!

Lucky you! Instead of just me, you get a two-for-one. When I talked with Darian about my participation in this year's summer read-a-thon, he decided that he wanted to join as well. So...you get to hear about us both as we dive into a week full of reading fun!

A little bit about me (Elle) : I'm a born and raised Idaho girl who stuck pretty darned close to home save for a small jaunt to the big city (San Francisco) for school. I'm self-employed as a dentist, but I spent my free time doing more fun stuff like scrapbooking, blogging, and of course reading. I read a little bit of everything, but I'm particularly fond of classics, Chick Lit, and YA fiction. My Goodreads "want to read" shelf can attest to my widespread love of everything literary. I started reading at age 4 thanks to the encouragement of my parents and I haven't stopped since. In fact, I have my very own library here in my house. Yup...that's right. I made an entire room into nothing but comfy couches and bookshelves lined with wonderful books. I love them that much!

I'm super excited for the read-a-thon and I'm hoping to catch up (and maybe even get a little bit ahead) in my 2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge. This means I need to complete a minimum of 3 books by the end of the week. I think I can do it. (My goal for this year is to read 64 books by December 31st in order to fill the bracket for my 2013 Book of the Year. New to my blog? Check out the winners for my 2011 Book of the Year and 2012 Book of the Year. I promise that you will find some good reads in those brackets!)

I'm currently reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin. As my teaser tidbit for Challenge #1, here's a little snippet of the book...

"Is it true that you're Alice in Wonderland?"

"I believe you know the answer to that, Your Royal Highness."

I'm excited to meet some new friends who love books as much as I do and maybe even find some new book ideas for that burgeoning "want to read" shelf. Let's do this thing!

Hi! My name is Darian. I am 11-years-old, born and raised in Idaho. I'm not quite sure when I started reading, except I think it was because of school. I'm interested in mythology. My favorite book so far has been The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. I'm looking forward to the next book in that series, coming out in October.

You can check out some of my reviews. I will continue doing reviews on books I have read. My Goodreads goal for the year is 32 books. My goal for this week is to finish my 327 page book with 55 chapters.

My teaser tidbit comes from The Magician by Michael Scott...

"And don't forget, I drove a Hummer into the fountain in Libbey Park; that had to have caught someone's attention. I'll bet the police and the press are there right now."

I'll post more as the read-a-thon continues.

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And with that, we're off and ready to run...well, read. We're starting our week out with a little bedroom campout and a couple of good Nooks. We'll be back to update our progress tomorrow as well as tell you a little bit about some of our favorite reads. We hope that you'll join us for a super fun week and we look forward to learning about everyone else's favorite books!

Darian's BOTY: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Darian decided that it was time to update his bracket. He is very excited about taking part in the BOTY challenge with me this year. He's a pretty avid little reader. Today he's reviewing a book that he's told me is probably one of his favorites. I remember it being one of my favorites when I was his age as well. Enjoy.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is about girl named Karana who is abandoned and has to survive alone on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Karana has to survive the hard ways, like making your own weapons and clothes and relying on what you have hunted.

This book is historical realistic fiction. It's historical fiction because the author actually used the story of Juana Maria, the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island. He may have used her story, but he did put in some things that we don't know. We don't know if Juana Maria had any human contact like Karana did in Island of the Blue Dolphins. Things like this made it fiction.

I rated this book 5 stars because I thought it was awesome. I liked everything about this book. There is nothing that I didn't like about this book. I liked how there was so much detail that it felt real. At the beginning of the book, when Karana's brother gets lost, it explains why he didn't get on the ship and why they didn't know anything. Other stuff I liked about it was how everything flowed. What I mean is that everything went in perfect order. I know that some books can get you confused and then sometimes it starts getting bad. That didn't happen with this book at all.

I would recommend this book to people who like survival stories and people who like historical fiction.

This is my 10th book of the year and here's what my bracket looks like so far: