December Progress- Semi Charmed Kind of Life's Reading Challenge

Winter Reading Challenge

This holiday season I am participating in a winter reading challenge to keep myself motivated and have some fun with my reading. To learn more about this challenge, I suggest you start here.

So far I have completed three novels in the challenge:

Re-read a book: 25 points (complete)

Read a book written in the decade you were born: 10 points (complete)

Read 3 different novels from 3 different genres: 30 points (1/3 finished)

I thought I would share the books I've read and write a little review on each as I finish them.

Re-read a book: 25 points (complete)

The Eye of the World: Book One of 'The Wheel of Time' (Wheel of Time (Tor Paperback))

This one was easy for me. I wanted to read this book again anyway. I first started reading the Wheel of Time books in high school and continued on through college. I fell in love with the characters and kept reading as new books in the series came out. 

The last of a trilogy ending the stories came out about a year ago but I have yet to read it. Its been so long I would need to re-read the entire series first! Often with fantasy series, the first book is the best. I think that is definitely the case with this series. Throughout, the author adds so many characters and sub plots that I quickly lost interest. And he abandoned so many earlier characters and storyline I fell in love with.

For fans of: Fantasy/Epic, Science Fiction

Read a book written in the decade you were born: 10 points (complete)

Bodily Harm by MargaretAtwood

I am a huge Margaret Atwood fan. I had never read anything by her I disliked....up until this novel. The character was boring, the story was flat, I couldn't relate or get into the plot at all. Just an all around fail for me.

The main character is sort of a pale facsimile of her past main characters in stronger novels. She shares the same detached, unfeeling surface personality that most of Atwood's other female protagonists do, yet while she successfully develops the others, this one stays uninteresting.

If you are new to Atwood, definitely do not start with this book, check out the Handmaid's Tale and then read her Oryx and Crake series. 

Read 3 different novels from 3 different genres: 30 points (1/3 finished)

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

I've taken a break from the YA novels for awhile because the last few have been real letdowns. The genre can get tedious very quickly, there is little originality and the main characters are generally stock and cookie cutter.

I read this book on a whim and loved every minute of it! I've read other books by the same author but its been a very long time so I had completely forgotten her name. It was a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable.

For fans of: YA, Fantasty, Sci Fi, Female Protagonist, Adventure