Goodreads Challenge 31-39/85

   

Goodreads Challenge 39/85: Risk by Dick Francis
Dick Francis books are fun to read because the setting is always about horseracing. So, while you get a little bit of thriller action, you also get a peek into the world of racing horses. And in the case of Risk, into the world of accountants. A thriller about an accountant--who woulda thunk?


Goodreads Challenge 38/85: The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
Be nice to the animals, or else....


Goodreads Challenge 37/85: Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark
I chose Silent Night from the library because I've seen Mary Higgins Clark books all over the place--the market, the drugstore, bookstores. Anyway I chose this because it's Easter and I thought a holiday book would be fun. And it was short. Reading this book is like watching a Bruce Willis action flick. Really not much substance but it's fun to read for the short time it takes to get through it. For some reason I had expected a mystery--this was a thriller. But fun just the same. The author makes no pretension of writing quality prose, and I appreciate that. Just straight-forward thriller.

                  

Goodreads Challenge 36/85: Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Gosh, Robert Heinlein, I'm so sorry I was disappointed in your book Starship Troopers. I had been looking forward to reading it, and I really loved Stranger in a Strange Land, so I had high expectations. This book is often listed as one of the best science fiction books of all time. Well, this 263-page book had about 50 pages of science fiction (a generous estimate) and the remaining 213 pages was about the military. If the sci-fi aspect had been infused throughout the military pages it would have been a little more science fictiony. But it wasn't. It was just chapter after chapter about boot camp. And then about being reassigned from boot camp. And then officer's training. Oh--they did visit the Bug planet and kill a few at the end of the book, but it took a long time for us to get there. Another problem was this story was not plot-driven; it was more like a soldier's diary. I suppose if you are interested in reading stories about the military, Starship Troopers is for you. But it wasn't for me. :^(


Goodreads Challenge 35/85: Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
The Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter is like watching a popcorn movie on a Saturday afternoon. Good fun but not really Oscar-worthy.

Goodreads Challenge 34/85: The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli
The Library Card is a cute book, and well-written by Newberry-winning author Jerry Spinelli. One thing's for sure--I won't look at mushrooms the same way again.

             

Goodreads Challenge 33/85:  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Why did I wait so long to read The Hobbit? I don't know! But oh my goodness, it's worth every star. It well deserves its excellent reputation and fan base. Of course I'm biased, being a hobbit myself....


Goodreads Challenge 32/85: The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Now that was fun to read. The Warrior Heir has elements of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, and Ars Magica -- all coming together in an event that could have been sponsored by the Society for Creative Anachronism. I'm looking forward to the next book!


Goodreads Challenge 31/85: You've Been Warned by James Patterson
Thank god this was a quick read because it was a painful experience.