Book Review Bonanza

I am almost halfway to achieving a New Year's Goal! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, it's the book-reading one. Of all the resolutions I made this is probably the least important/worthwhile one, but oh well, it's been my favorite to strive towards! I just hit #23 of my goal of 52 books to read this year. I am right on track as it's the fifth month of the year and I am just under halfway there. I haven't done any book reviews lately, so I am going to do a reviewing blitz and tell you in one sentence what I thought of the last several books I have read. Ready. Set. Go!

23. The Giver by Lois Lowery - This is a true classic and I am so grateful to whichever grade school teacher made me read this book as a child, but I understand it so much more now.
22. The Bearwalker's Daughter by Beth Trissel - A fun, brain-candy kind of book w/ a semi-original story combining (wait for it) Native Americans and Irish/Scots in a volatile love story.
21. Soul and Shadow by Susan J. McLeod - I had to look back to see what this was about and read it only 4 days ago, so a not-very-memorable story about Egyptian artifacts and magic.
20. Wolverine's Daughter by Doranna Durgin - I enjoyed this fantasy, coming of age story about a strong warrior girl searching for her father who ends up finding herself.
19. Down the Memory Hole by Bonnie Turner - Sad, not very well-done story about a kid and his grandpa with Alzheimer's which I didn't really enjoy.
18. The Most Beautiful Thing by Fiona Robyn - This was too realistically sad for me about a family with subtle mental health issues.
17. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - LOVED this fantastical story of strange children, parallel universes, and finding oneself and it had the perfect amount of creepy.
16. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - It's the 2nd Hunger Games book and I re-read it in a matter of hours, is there really any explanation needed?
15. Bubba and the Dead Woman by C.L. Bevill - A sorry murder mystery about a good looking man named Bubba? Really there's no such thing.
14. Ties that Bind by Heather Huffman - Meh - I enjoyed it but not as much as Jailbird (see below) and had a hard time relating to the love story and father-daughter dynamics.
13. Home By Morning by Alexis Harrington - A fun, almost-historical fiction book about an old love, returning home, and a betrayal.
12. The Venom of Vipers by K.C. May - A sci-fi book that is much better than the title would suggest about a species engineered to cure humans of a super virus.
11. Jailbird by Heather Huffman - Really loved this story of an escaped convict who finds love and peace and still faces her past.
10. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson* - (* indicates a book club book) This was my pick for my roomie book club and thank the Lord I finally had a good pick - mystery, suspense, and memory problems was right up my ally!