Busy Bookworm Challenge Update

I blogged about this back in October and I haven't given an update as of yet.  I am proud to say I read more books than I expected to.  I've finished Magyk, The Giver, Do Not Pass Go, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment and Catching Fire.

Magyk was a little elementary for me, but I bought it at our school book fair last year and a lot of kids bought it, so I was willing to give it a try.  It's a cute story and reminded me of Harry Potter in some places.  I would have liked to have seen the ending happen a little quicker, but I am interested to see what happens in the next book. 

The Giver was totally different than I thought it would be. It was a little more dark and less futuristic than I had imagined.  I wish I read this before Ender's Game, Unwind, Uglies, and The Hunger Games, though.  It was in the same genre as these books and would have been a great beginning to these other books for me. 

Do Not Pass Go, made me think it was going to be like Monster, which I read last year with my school book club.  But it wasn't like it at all and I liked this one better.  At my book club, some people thought it made prison look too good and thought it would have a bad message to kids who think they can maybe get away with something.  I thought it showed a little about second chances and letting yourself open up to other people helping you.

Maximum Ride was another book I bought at our school book fair last year.  I REALLY enjoyed this book and the others in the series are on my list of books to read.  I love Max's sarcasm, Fang's somewhat nonchalance ways and that he seems to be a big old softie on the inside, Angel's challenging, yet unpredictable mind, and that the boys are just boys.  I also found out that James Patterson wrote two adult books with some of these same characters in them.

And finally, Catching Fire!  Oh, what a GREAT book!  Cannot wait for the third book in this series.  I, like many of my friends, thought this sequel was even better than the original, Hunger Games.  I was very worried at the end that my major question was not going to be answered and it very pleasantly surprised when it was answered; although not in quite the way I expected.  There is definitely a good cliffhanger at the end of this one!

Here's the list as of today:
Challenge List (to be read by December 31, 2009)
1. Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos
2. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah


Finished:
1. Magyk
2. The Giver
3. Do Not Pass Go
4. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Probably for 2010
1. The Wednesday Wars (school book club)
2. The Book Thief (friends book club)
3. New Alice Sebold book
4. Carpe Diem (school book club)
5. Home of the Brave (school book club)
6. The Compound (school book club)
7. Black Duck (school book club)

*photo Byron's Books by Valentinian found on Flickr.