The books I've read for my mission101 claim will all be listed here and linked to the post where the review is placed.

*denotes that it was also read for my a_reader_is_me challenge.

( the master list )

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman is the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I read the first sometime last summer, which I reviewed here, but I've just now gotten around to reading the second one.

I liked it. While I think I liked The Golden Compass just a tad more, I didn't lose interest in this one like I did the first, and actually managed to read all the way through without having to take a break. I don't know if that's because I'm in one of my reading moods and wasn't then or something the book did; however, I do know that this book kept me interested and curious to know the ending the whole way through.

A lot of this book was very predictable. Lyra's real name, for example, was so obvious from the get-go that I actually overlooked the fact it could be the answer. I'd been referring to Lyra and Will as such in my mind since I read the first chapter and hadn't realized that I'd been right about it from the beginning. That was no surprise. John Parry's end was also very predictable, as was the turn of events with Mrs. Coulter and Lyra. I will say that Lee's finale had me in tears, if only because he was my second favorite character of the lot, and I honestly didn't see that coming to him. This book threw me for a loop with the talk of Shadows/Dust = rebel angels, and I will admit that I'm a little wary going into the third, but I have high hopes that it'll at least be a very entertaining read.

As for the writing, I really enjoy Pullman's style. It's interesting and easy to read yet still adds a nice flair of description. I could create a perfect image of the world and it's characters the entire way through, which is always a good sign about the narration, and I really enjoyed reading this book. Overall I recommend it, and think it was a really great fantasy read.

I'd heard mixed things about this book, but I have to say that I loved it. It was brilliantly written, and I fell in love with the characters and their stories. The idea of a book written by Death was just too interesting to pass up, and while I was mildly irritated by how the narrator revealed the ending of the book ahead of time, by the end I really didn't mind so much. It still had the same effect on me - which is to say, I cried my way through the last forty pages or so.

I think the part that really got to me were the characters. The characters were lovable, and while they were pretty average and nothing special, I still adored every single one of them and fell madly in love with them. I don't think there was a character I disliked in the whole book; each one was interesting and exciting for their own reasons, and I absolutely adored them all. The narrator grated on my nerves some times, but then he would go and say something beautiful and interesting, such as the notion that he is "haunted by humans" that I could forgive him for being slightly irritating sometimes.

Overall, it was a great book. The writing was not too hard to digest yet still not overly simple, there was some gorgeous imagery, and it provided a viewpoint of World War II that I hadn't had the chance to read yet (that being the bombings in Germany). I recommend it.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf was one of the books I was assigned to read for my European Literature class last school year, and was one of the few I didn't have a chance to read all the way through (balancing work and school and reading is not easy, in my defense). I was intrigued with it, however, so I took the time to finally finish it up. I'm very glad I did. While sometimes it was hard to follow along with, and it generally took me a couple of minutes to get into the flow of the story, I really did enjoy it. The writing is very beautiful; the way Woolf switches between short, anchoring sentences and run-on sentences really sets the tone and helps carry on the stream of consciousness style. The point of view changes, while sometimes a little confusing at first, were very interesting as well. I really liked how it was such a smooth transition (which is what sometimes made it confusing) and how it flowed so nicely from one character to another.

The characters were likable, for the most part. I really loved Sally Seton's character and the bisexual implications she and Clarissa had for one another, and it genuinely made me sad to see her married and with children. Even if she was only a side character, it seemed so unlike her and so unfitting of her personality, yet realistic, as it would have been expected from her. The only character I really didn't care for was Peter. His thoughts always seemed to drag for me, and his sections were the ones that left me the least interested. He was just boring, and hearing about his lingering love for Clarissa was just not that fascinating to me. The female characters were definitely the best, and it was a great look into the female mindset.

I'm a huge fan of Poppy Z. Brite, but this was my first time reading any of her short stories and reading about her Soul Kitchen crew. I wasn't disappointed. I love her prose - it's easy to understand yet not overly simple, and it really gives a good idea of the characters. That is one of the things that makes me love Brite. Her characters strike you and stick with you, and the characters throughout these shorts stories were exactly the same. The added bonus of some good ghost stories was also a pleasant surprise.

Of the short stories, "Crown of Thorns" was definitely my favorite. It was intriguing, and it was interesting to see Brite's counterpart, the quirky Dr. Brite. It was a very nice ghost story, although I will admit I was hoping another of the short stories would elaborate more on the incident that happens with Hank and Dr. Brite. While the story in "The Devil of Delery Street" felt like a good, self-contained story, "Crown of Thrones" left me hoping for more and genuinely disappointed that Brite didn't do more with it. I could definitely see it going on to be a novel-length story, but I guess I'll have to be sated with the little snippet she gave us in Antediluvian Tales.

While I didn't like it nearly as much as her novels, it was a very nice read, and I'll always love Brite's style. Her characters are too interesting for me to pass up - I'm curious to read more about the Soul Kitchen gang, and might investigate those books further.

This is the only Harry Potter book I've never read all the way through, so as soon as I went to see the movie, I decided it was time to fix that. This review will probably end up being more of a comparison between the two than a solid review of the book, which is why it's listed as a book and movie review.

The book was basically like every other Harry Potter book. It was fun to read, the world Rowling has created is as interesting and exciting as ever, and they're simple. However, this is around when her characters started to bother me - while I understand that the characters were starting to reach those awkward teenage years, and the changes in their personalities would, consequently, make sense, I never really cared for how she did it. I found Harry to be whiny and annoying most of the time, and Hermione spent most of the book being bitter and less awesome than normal. Now that I'm older and pay more attention to that sort of thing, her writing also seems lackluster. Between the capslocks of rage and the general lack of finesse and flare to her prose, it falls sort of flat and sits in the general range of comfortable, easy to read fiction. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it works with the storyline and makes for a very fast read, despite the thickness of the later Potter books.

As for the movie, I thought it made a great supplement to the books by providing visual representations of the events and characters as well as making some things in the book appear just a bit clearer, such as the exact details of rooms and other things. Now, before I get into the argument of how the books are long and there's no way to make a movie without cutting some things out, know that I understand stand that. I just feel that the things that were cut out, as well as the things that were put in, could have been planned better. For instance, the fact that Dumbledore fails to tell Harry what the other Horcruxes probably are causes problems for the seventh movie because Harry then lacks any basis for his search of the Horcruxes. Along with that, the inclusion of the winter scene where Bellatrix shows up and burns down the Burrow also poses problems: for one, no one in the movie so much as mentions this rather large turn of events for the remainder of the movie and, for another, the beginning of the seventh book is Bill and Fleur's wedding, which takes place at a completely in-tact Burrow. So they've left out things that obviously impact the next movie and put in things that complicate things, which is my biggest complaint. Draco's brooding scenes also gave me a good laugh, which I doubt was the intent, but which happened either way because of the sheer ridiculousness of some of the scene changes to his brooding moments.

Overall, I generally like them both, but I no longer feel an attachment to Harry Potter, so at this point it's basically my need to see it all the way through to the end.

The first thing that I noticed was that the battle system is seriously lacking. It's not particularly challenging, it never changes, and it never becomes more engaging. Half of the battles consisted of backing the boss up into a wall or backing yourself into a wall to prevent some form of damage then wailing away at it, using potions when necessary. The techs, the only potentially interesting part of the battles, aren't even that interesting. I used them when they were available but they didn't make or break a fight - most of the time I didn't even have them charged, and I made it through just fine.

I will say that some of the boss fights are annoyingly challenging at first, but as soon as you figure out the smackdown+potion formula and any other possible small details to the fight, it becomes pretty easy.

The music wasn't grand, either, and most of the time I turned the game off because of it. The graphics were good enough for me, and I won't nitpick on that because I, honestly, am not a graphics person. I could care less what my game looked like as long as it's fun.

I did really enjoy the costumes and the jobs you could have. Cooking was an excellent idea and actually got rid of the money grinding that you sometimes have to do in RPGs to buy potions by allowing you to cook your own, so that was really nice. The weapons were pretty pointless (once you get the Saber, a fairly weak and easy to get sword, that's all you need to beat the game, really). It meant no more going into a dungeon and realizing you are terribly equipped for the dungeon and are going to have to do the aforementioned money grinding just to buy the stuff to make it through.

Travelling kind of sucked but, again, nitpicking. I've had to deal with worse so I won't give it much crap in this category.

Despite most of my complaining, I really did enjoy it. It kept me entertained and while the ending fell flat in terms of story I did think it was cute, endearing, and funny. It was definitely a change of pace, which is nice, and I was able to play it almost non-stop for the past three days or so, so it was worth it, I think.

Overall, I'll give it a 3.5/5. Pick it up if you want something to keep you busy for a while but don't expect to be totally wow'd by it.

Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife was one of those stories that takes every little bit of your heart and smashes it to a thousand pieces. I don't know if that was worded very eloquently, but by the last twenty-five pages of this book, I was crying like a little baby. The quote from The Odyssey was absolutely perfect. I couldn't have imagined a better way for this book to end, and I think that quote alone is what really set me off. It was a perfect story of the love between Henry and Clare. The bittersweet fact of how she will wait for him always, never knowing if or when he'll come back or where he's going; the pain Henry feels at knowing that he will die and leave Clare alone for so long; the terror of always going back to those pivotal moments in your life that you want to escape but never can.

Overall, it was an amazing love story. The science-fiction aspect of it is not all that great or creative, but the idea of time traveling tied in with Clare and Henry's love and how it affects them makes for a wonderful story. I found myself getting fully engaged in this novel throughout it, relating or sympathizing, feeling Clare's pain. All in all, I definitely recommend this book.

"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation." - from The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a book about living out one's dreams, finding one's destiny, and achieving one's Personal Legend. The book follows the tale of a Shepard boy who, after having a recurring dream, decides to pursue the treasure of his dream. Through his travels he meets many people who teach him valuable lessons about life, meets the love of his life, and sees places he had never imagined he would be able to see. The book is a personal journey about oneself and finding one's Personal Legend. It teaches you to never give up on what you dream of, and inspires you to go about finding your own Personal Legend, despite the hardships you might face.

The Alchemist is a great book. It's soothing, it made me feel a little better about my life and all the stress I've been feeling, and it was just a very touching novel. It was a light read, which was perfect for the message it was sending, yet at the same time it had a certain depth to it. This is a book you walk away from and still think about for the rest of the day. It leaves a lasting impression, which is good in a book. I give it props for this. I never found it to be boring or slow; it kept me entertained the entire time I was reading it, which is refreshing.

I recommend this book. Putting aside preconceived notions about the religious implications of the text, which I, personally, had to do, and just reading this book for what it is is definitely worth your time. You could easily finish it in an afternoon, I'm sure, but it would be an afternoon well spent.

Suddenly, condemned arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig found himself with a noose around his neck and dropping through a trapdoor into ... a government job?

By all rights, Moist should be meeting his maker rather than being offered a position as Postmaster by Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork. Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may prove an impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, greedy Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical headman. But if the bold and undoable are what's called for, Moist's the man for the job -- to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every being, human or otherwise, requires: hope. (The summary from the back of the book.)

Ankh-Morpork is probably one of the most interesting places of the Discworld universe. Like any self-respecting big city, it's full of crime, dirt, murder, and all manner of other things. In a mannerly, organized way, of course. This book brings out the best in Ankh-Morpork, focusing on the long-forgotten Postal Service when ex-criminal Moist von Lipwig is given the job of Postmaster. Along the way he finds love, ghosts, and the meaning of hope.

All that aside, Going Postal is one of the more intriguing and unique of the Discworld novels I've read so far. Instead of the tales of wizards or witches (which there's nothing wrong with, don't get me wrong), there is this ordinary guy (mostly), who's given a second chance at life. It's full of excitement, mystery, and it attempts to keep you guessing at what's coming up, which it does fairly successfully, in my opinion. I like that in a book, so it goes without saying that I enjoyed this book. Although toward the middle it slows down a bit, and I admit I stopped reading it for a few weeks, it finishes in a humorous and positive way, and I enjoyed it, although the ending was lacking in the conclusion for Moist that I was hoping for. I can forgive it, however, because it's an all around good book and a nice read.

And besides, Vetinari and Moist were probably two of my favorite characters so far. Of course, I say that about every Discworld character.

I've been a huge fan of Terry Pratchett for a while now. He's a wonderful author, his sense of humor is right up my alley, and his world is incredibly vast and entertaining. Equal Rites definitely wasn't disappointing in any of these aspects. It's humorous, but has that touch of real-life issues thrown in that makes it even better. The witches have always been my favorites, and seeing Granny Weatherwax is always cause of delight.

The book is a pretty quick read, so the fact that I could hardly put it down once I really got into it made it go by rather quickly. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. The characters in this book are just as great as any of this others, the world is just as entertaining, and Pratchett's writing is just as witty and amazing as always. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to everyone.

So, on a dare, I decided I'd try to read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I went into it expected it to be awful, and anticipating that I'd have to struggle my way through it just to get to the end.

I wasn't too far off, although it really wasn't that terrible of a read. It's easy and quick, and if it weren't for the fact that the characters are incredibly two-dimensional and really boring and have absolutely no character growth throughout the entire thing, I'd actually be a nice, easy read for when you're in the mood for that sort of thing. The characters are what ruined the whole thing for me. Edward and Bella don't seem to change in the slightest throughout the whole book - well, they fall in love, but if you ask me, that seems to set them back a few paces in terms of positive character development. The fact that Edward takes the role of domineering man in the relationship, in a situation where it's always "you have to do what I say because it's best for you," really, really squicks me. It just doesn't sit well. He seems controlling and possessive and she's too despondent on him. There's only once in the whole book where she goes against his desires for something she decides all on her own, and that's something she decides to protect him.

The best part of the book, I will have to admit, are the Cullens (minus Edward). His family is pretty awesome, and I always love a good vampire story. Actually, the book would probably be good if Bella and Edward weren't in it and the whole thing was just about the Cullen family and the other vampire families they meet (and probably the werewolves, too). As long as Meyer, you know, figured out how to develop interesting, deep, three-dimensional characters. Which I have no hope for.

tl;dr: If Stephanie Meyer can write five books and get it published and be "the greatest thing since Harry Potter," then so can I, dammit.

I finished The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman last night. Overall, I'd say I really liked it - it was entertaining, the characters were likable, and the storyline was intriguing and made me want to keep reading it to find out what was coming up next. The writing style is nice as well, which is an added bonus. It wasn't as easy to predict as I thought it'd be, which was a pleasant surprise - I can actually admit that the ending caught me off guard and has left me wondering what is going to happen next. It's left me seriously wishing I had the second book, and not just the first and third, to say the least.

I think my favorite part of that book, however, was Iorek. He was the most endearing yet badass character ever, and I loved everything about him, from the start of his story to the very end. It makes me sad that I'm not sure if he'll be in the next two books or not. Definitely the coolest part.

So I just finished reading Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, and although it took me a while to get through it because I'm easily distracted, I'd have to say it was a really good book. The writing was simple - it conveyed interesting points in a very easy to understand, straight-forward manner, and it really struck a chord. I thought the lessons this book had to teach about life and living were interesting, and it really made me think, which is always good in any book, if you ask me.

The book is easy to read, like I said. It avoids being too heavy on detail and keeps the clean, easy feel that fits the characters and the theme of the book so well. I really liked this about it, because I haven't been in the mood for heavy reads, and it really was perfect because it was definitely the complete opposite.

The only even slightly negative remark I have about this book is that it made me feel a little uneasy at some times, although I guess it could be said that that's what it was intending to do. It made me think about a few things that I'd rather not think about, but at the same time it tried to tell me to get over those things and to accept them. Really, it wasn't a bad thing, just something that made it hard to read the book at times.

Overall, I'd recommend this book. It's quick and easy to read, and it's endearing and touching as well. I liked it.