1. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury: This is actually a collection of disconnected stories, which I wouldn't have thought would have appealed to me, but I'm so glad I read it! I liked it more than The Martian Chronicles and it's about on par with Fahrenheit 451 for me. There were two stories in a row that made me cry; I love how there is something hopeful about Bradbury's work, but the endings are never quite happy. I immediately added this to my favorites list, and I think it will stay there! 5/5 stars.
2. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: I read this because I got the Kindle ebook for free and it was supposed to be a commentary or deconstruction on Twilight. I'm currently stalled on writing an analysis of it with that angle, where I will talk about in more in depth. I do believe that is the best way to enjoy it; while it was clever at times, the love/hate relationship got quite repetitive, and it isn't anything spectacular. 3/5 stars.
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman: I don't really have a good gauge for a rating on this one so I'm not going to give it a star number (I gave it 4 on Goodreads, but it might be 3.5, but it's not the same 3.5 as others...). I didn't really have any problems with it, although I fell into the bad habit of not focusing enough when the narrative focused on another character than the protagonists. I thought it was lovely and I loved the sort-of-twist at the end. It was cute. I've started the movie too and enjoyed it so far...but they gave away the twist already!
4. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: I loved the satiric tone and the concepts, but then it became a bit baffling. I've since came up with a good analysis as to why many of the characters did not change, and I've come up with a great thematic theory that explains the ending. But overall it's a case of liking it in theory, but the actual reading experience did not have as strong of an impact. Still though, that beginning... 4/5 stars.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I could have done without the really long chapter full of historical details of what he was stealing, but overall I really enjoyed this. I loved the atmosphere and the twists, and Dorian's inevitable but still shocking decent to madness. I definitely recommend. Still, it's not my absolute favorite (yet),. 4.5/5 stars.
6. The Golden Apples of the Sun/R is for Rocket by Ray Bradbury: The edition I read was not exactly the same as you can find separately in stores, as it was in an omnibus so it removed stories that had been in The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man and added five more in their place. I enjoyed it for the most part, but the stories were much smaller so I didn't get as attached to them. There were some good ones, but I didn't feel a sense of continuity. 3/5 stars.
7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: I loved the first 100 pages or so, but after that I seemed to be distanced from it. It just didn't move me as much as it did some others; I felt a little bit manipulated, actually...especially with his ease at becoming a published author. Also, he was practically an outsider in Afghanistan the whole time (especially later, where you may even call him an American tourist), which felt was a bit convenient for marketing to and hooking American readers. I don't mind the foreshadowing or the plot convenience, but there was something between me and the novel. Maybe it's just the hype. 4/5 stars.
And here is what my TBR looks like!
- Currently I'm in the middle of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, because it's about time I did some YA to review, and I won't spoil it but I'm really enjoying it! Maybe I won't give up on that market quite yet.
- I just bought Frankenstein and Jane Eyre.
- I still have The Da Vinci Code, and in ebook format I have The Warrior Heir, Throne of Glass, and The Darkest Minds, which I will get to eventually for review.
- I also plan on getting to Around the World in 80 Days and Great Expectations by the end of next year!
- Otherwise, I am patiently awaiting Christmas gifts.
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