2011 Reading Goals & Two Book Reviews

Last year, my goal was to read 25 books of any length or sort. Despite being far behind when December began, my final count was 28. And I didn't even count textbooks.

This year's goal is 30 books. So far, I've read two and they both sucked. I've decided to start "reviewing" my books here as I complete them, because I have nothing else to blog about I'm all about sharing the good and saving you from the bad.

The Beach Road (James Patterson)

This was one of his earlier books, I believe. While his books aren't always amazing, the short chapters and writing style usually make these a quick read. It took me over a week to struggle through this book. The story-teller changed chapter to chapter and most of the voices weren't enjoyable. Rather than feel enlightened at the final twists, I felt lied to and that was a lousy way to end. I'm going to give this one a rating of Two Punches in the Face.

Oleander House: Bay City Paranormal Investigations (Ally Blue)

This was a free for a reason Kindle download. I downloaded the FREE!!! book without reading more than the title and seeing that it was well-rated so I can only blame myself. The book was all kinds of awful. There were two main storylines going on. The main part of the story focused on the paranormal investigation, which was interesting at times but ended dramatically with absolutely no answers. The other story involved the main character, Sam, who was new to the group. He developed an immediate crush on his married-but-in-denial-gay boss, Bo. My issues with their "relationship" had nothing to do with them being gay and everything to do with them being juvenile and ridiculous. The portrayal of their interactions was uneven and miserable to read. Turns out this is the first book in a series, which I will not be continuing, free or not. I'm going to give this one a rating of Worth Every Penny I Paid.

Currently Reading: Kick-Ass Creativity: An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers, and Creative Professionals (Mary Beth Maziarz)

This is good so far but I'm going through it slowly as it's a lot to digest. So far, the focus has been on how energy around us influences our creativity. I'm enjoying it, but it's not a quick read.

I'm looking for suggestions. I'm not into sci-fi. I'm not into trashy or sappy romance novels. I tried to read Hunger Games and couldn't get into that at all. I'm not a fan of vampires, werewolves, or other twinkly weirdness. You can see what I've read recently on my bookshelf. My favorite reads last year were two by Kate Morton (The Distant Hours, House at Riverton) and the Millennium Trilogy (Stieg Larsson). Other than the Women's Murder Club, I've given up on James Patterson.

Tell me what you've read lately that was awesome. I'd love to get lost in some good books because if the 28 other books I read this year are as awful as the two I've read so far, I may be forced to take drastic measures be sad about it.