Unrated

Very rarely do I not rate a book. In fact, the only time I really considered it was with my own books because you know, authors rating their own books… no. But, I made a deal with a friend that I’d read manga if she’d make a Twitter account and send at lest 5 tweets in her first month. She held up her end of the bargain, and I read the first books of Fruits Basket. I didn’t rate it because I think that manga just isn’t my thing. I was annoyed by the backwards nature of it and the naming conventions confused me. Overall, I was mostly lost through it and so, I don’t feel like I can really rate this book. I didn’t like it, I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t really get it. Sorry, all you manga fans. Maybe I’ll try again at some point, but as for right now, I’ll avoid manga.

1 Star = I didn’t like it

2 Stars = It was okay

3 Stars = I liked it

4 Stars = I really liked it

5 Stars = It was amazing!

In order from #10 to my #1 fav, here are 10 books that I gave 5 stars to in 2014:

Yes, it’s technically for screenwriters, but it’s so much more! This book will help you learn how to plot and tell a story better. Life changing! I’ll be reading the other Save the Cat books at some point, and this is one of those much-highlighted, constantly-refer-back-to, books.

I’ve had this on my TBR list for a long time and I finally listened to it. First of all, the premise was really cool–days are growing longer and the book is about the impact that has on the world. It’s simple, but there are so many little things this affects. The author did a great job of going into detail and showing the hardship of this major change in the world, but also how people can adapt to almost anything when they stay together.

Classic dystopian from the days before dystopians became so popular. I loved the world and the characters, and I love the way the story played out. The use of color was brilliant. So much about it was brilliant. Loved the relationship between the Giver and Jonas. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

Book 2 in the Divergent series. It was a continuation of what I loved so much in the first one. Plenty of action and tension, both in love and in the fight against the government. So many twists and turns. It was nice to see them get out of their faction-restricted world and start to explore a bit.

I was so crazy about Outlander, I couldn’t wait to jump into the 2nd book. This one totally threw me for a loop, though, in the beginning. It was so much of “what is happening right now!” I needed much moral support from friends who read it before, but when it came down to it, this book was just as much of an adventure as the first book.

Is there a book by Sue Monk Kidd that I’m not crazy over? If there is, I have yet to find it. She has a way of telling the most beautiful stories. In this case, a story of friendship and a desire to be more than what others tell you to be. The contrast of the lives of the two girls was vivid, yet they shared many of the same struggles despite being so different.

I smile just thinking of this book and especially the ending. While it started a tiny bit slow, when it picked up, it never let up. I can’t look at a horse without thinking of this book. Apparently, plans to make it a movie have made some progress, so we just might see this one on the big screen some day soon!

Yes, believe the hype. If you like YA dystopians, that is. It was fun and sweet, heart-stopping and adventurous. Everything I love in a dystopian. The movie turned out pretty good, too. I loved the first two books, though I was a bit miffed by the ending of the series. Not because of what happened so much as that I felt like it did not fit the story or the character and it was just the wrong ending. But hey, I’m not Veronica Roth, so who am I to say? Still a great series and the Insurgent movie looks to be just as good as the first.

Oh, this book. It makes me want to cry and scream just thinking about it. So much about this book was unexpected for me, so that every time something happened, I was just reeling. It was a huge roller coaster of emotion and really opened my eyes to what a paraplegic person goes through every day. I really thought until the end that things were going to go another direction. Big shock and just so ahhhhh.

Something about Outlander just makes me want to squeeeee like a fan girl. Oh, right, it’s probably Jamie. ;) But yes, as wonderful as he is, this is just a great story. Claire is so stubborn and passionate, you can’t help but love her, even if you want to slap her sometimes. And what’s not to love in a big Scot with a heart of gold who’s willing to fight to save all he loves? The TV show is just perfect, too. I can’t wait for the rest of season 1, and I can’t wait to devour the rest of the series this year for more Claire and Jamie adventures!