2016 reading challenge - or how I came the closest ever and failed thanks to Harry Potter
2016 was my third attempt at the 50 book reading challenge, and the closest I had ever come to actually doing it. With a couple of weeks to go I still had to read 3 books, so I bought the All for the Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic (thanks for the rec random Tumblr I stumbled across the other day) and settled in.
Christmas wasn’t a great time for reading thanks to all the family stuff I had to do, but in the few days between Christmas and New Year I motored through the end of the first one and the whole of the second one. I started the third on New Years Eve, thinking that I didn’t actually have anything to do that day, so I could do this.
I soon realised it was going to be slightly more of a challenge than first thought - the first book had been 260 pages, the second 328. The third? 418 pages. According to Goodreads the average reading time was about 7 hours - it should definitely have been doable. I settled in and started reading, having a short break to make some lunch, and I had to pop out for a little bit as I had been putting off buying new running shoes for the last two months, and I knew I needed them now or I’d end up running a marathon in shoes that hurt like a biz-atch.
Long story short, I was still reading into the evening. Cooked dinner with the Hubs, watched The Last Dragon Slayer whilst we ate, then picked the book back up. This was when Harry Potter de-railed me. ITV had been showing a film every day over Christmas, and New Years Eve was the night of The Deathly Hallows Part 2. It somehow ended up on the TV, and really, how was I supposed to concentrate on a book when HP was on TV?
So, I didn’t quite make it, but 49 wasn’t a bad attempt, and I’ve set the bar the same again this year. And in truth, I’ve read so much fic as well during the year, I reckon I must have read approximately 100 books all told.
List and thoughts below the cut:
Here’s the final list:
1. Roberson, Allred - iZombie: Reposession
2. Sarah J Maas - Queen of Shadows
3. Patrick Ness - The Rest of Us Just Live Here
4. Brian Katcher - The Improbable Theory of Ana & Zak
5. Ben Aaronovitch - Foxglove Summer
6. Ernest Cline - Armada
7. Jenn Bennett - Night Owls
8. Rainbow Rowell - Kindred Spirits
9. Moira Fowley-Doyle - The Accident Season
10. Veronica Roth - Divergent (re-read)
11. Veronica Roth - Insurgent (re-read)
12. Veronica Roth - Allegiant (re-read)
13. Kevin Sands - The Blackthorn Key
14. Joe Hill - Horns
15. Andy Weir - The Martian
16. Maggie Stiefvater - The Raven Boys
17. Maggie Stiefvater - The Dream Thieves
18. Maggie Stiefvater - Blue Lily, Lily Blue
19. Maggie Stiefvater - The Raven King
20. Rob Thomas - Rats Saw God
21. David Lagercrantz - The Girl in the Spider’s Web
22. V.E. Schwab - A Darker Shade of Magic
23. Madeleine Roux - Asylum
24. Madeleine Roux - Sanctum
25. Madeleine Roux - Catacomb
26. Leigh Bardugo - Shadow and Bone
27. Leigh Bardugo - Siege and Storm
28. Leigh Bardugo - Ruin and Rising
29. Stephanie Perkins - Summer Days and Summer Nights
30. J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
31. Jeff Noon & Steve Beard - Mappalujo
32. Nick Lake - There Will be Lies
33. Paige Toon - The One We Fell in Love With
34. Jesse Eisenberg - Bream Gives Me Hiccups
35. Paula Hawkins - The Girl on the Train
36. Sarah J Maas - Empire of Storms
37. Huntley Fitzpatrick - Boy Most Likely To
38. April Genevieve Tucholke - Slasher Girls and Monster Boys
39. Jennifer Niven - Holding Up the Universe
40. Sabaa Tahir - An Ember in the Ashes
41. Danielle Vega - The Merciless
42. Megan Abbot - The End of Everything
43. Susan Ee - Angelfall
44. Susan Ee - World After
45. Susan Ee - End of Days
46. Fraction, Aja, Pulido - Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon
47. Adrian J Walker - The End of the World Running Club
48. Nora Sakavic - The Foxhole Court
49. Nora Sakavic - The Raven King
So, favourites - I read a lot of books/series I had been meaning to read for a while this year, and they were mostly as good as I had been lead to believe (The Raven Cycle and The Grisha Trilogy were both amazing). I also really liked The Martian, more than I was expecting to be honest. Although I then watched the film and was thoroughly put out at how much they left out/changed. No change there. After All the Bright Places, I was really looking forward to Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven, and it did not disappoint. I also loved the most recent in the Throne of Glass series - I totally cried at the end! The Accident Season was incredible and have been recommending it to anyone who will listen since. And who doesn’t love a bit of Rainbow Rowell to brighten up any reading list?
Least favourites - Mappalujo took me a long time to get through, and I’m still not entirely sure what happened in it. According to my Goodreads yearly summary, only 16 other people have read it. I was also somewhat let down by The Girl on the Train after having it recommended to me, and then figuring out who the bad guy was on about page 47. I also wasn’t the greatest lover of Horns by Joe Hill - another friend has been telling me to read his books for ages, and I got Horns on a Kindle daily deal so I thought I’d give it a go. When I mentioned it to her afterwards, she said that it’s one of her least favourite ones as well, and I was left wondering why she hadn’t warned me of that in the first place!
Here’s to another great reading year in 2017 - I’m aiming for 50 again, and am already onto my second (having finished the final book in he All For the Game trilogy and calling that number 1). Fingers crossed I can make it this year!
Here we go again, my third year of the reading challenge where you keep track of the books you read in one year and then publish the post a year later. In 2014 I read 27 books. In 2015, I was very busy with school and only read 13 books (I don’t count fanfiction and/or books I read for school). 2016 should be busy as well.
Der Puppenmacher - J. Carson Black
Qualen schenke ich dir (2 Psychothriller) - Marc Prescher
Rotkäppchen hat schlechte Laune - Kassandra S. Katz
Triestiner Morgen - Edith Kneifl
Kurze Geschichten für Zwischendurch - div. Autoren
Und morgen du - Stefan Ahnhem
S3, Spuk in der Bibliothek: Eine Annäherung an das Unheimliche - Oliver Susami
I read 39 books in 2016. I decided to try a Reading Challenge (unfortunately the source escapes me), and I enjoyed it so much that I’m doing another one in 2017. I’m going to briefly review the books I read in 2016, and whether I would recommend you read them. Hopefully I can figure out how to make the cut.
Haha I figured it out! Okay, let’s get started. Each entry will be numbered with its title and author. In parentheses I will put the entry of the reading challenge it fell under, so you can do the reading challenge too, if you like. I will not be including entries I didn’t read a book for. I will review each book briefly and end each part with whether or not I recommend the book.
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by JK Rowling (A book with more than 500 pages): Okay, I’ll admit I’ve already read this book. In the spring I decided to reread all the Harry Potter books. The reread helped me come to terms with how misguided I was as a Snape-pologist and showed me that I should absolutely hate the emotionally manipulative ass Dumbledore actually is. Order of the Phoenix still remains my favorite book in the series. Yes, I recommend it, but it would help to read the previous four books.
2. Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (a classic romance): I have already seen a movie adaptation, but it was more interesting to read. The language is tedious but well worth the read. I do recommend seeing the movie first, because it helps with comprehension if you have an adaptation already in mind. It was Austen’s attempt at a gothic-esque thriller but of course maintains her Georgian marriage-for-love, empowered females themes. If you like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, I recommend Northanger Abbey, though I preferred the previous two novels.
3. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell (a book published this year): Guys, I’ll admit it. I’ve read this twice this year. It’s not great, mostly watered-down, generic-brand Harry Potter mashed into a single novel. Awesome? No. Gay? Hella. If you ship Drarry and wish it was canon, this is the novel for you. If you’re very HP-snobbish, I have a list of better drarry fanfiction for you that is cheaper, longer, and more fulfilling. It was interesting, cute, and the Dumbledore-like character gets his comeuppance for being an emotionally manipulative ass, which was satisfying. However, the novel pretends that the word ‘bisexual’ doesn’t exist, which for a bisexual reader was irritating. Do I recommend it? If you like shitty drarry fanfiction that lasts for 500 pages, sure. If you want better fanfiction that’s just not in a book form, I think you’ll have much better luck reading the complete works of Saras_Girl on AO3.
4. Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain (a book that became a movie): I started this World War 1 autobiography in 2014 in anticipation for the movie starring Colin Morgan. I had to set it aside for the remainder of that year and the next due to emotional exhaustion. It’s not a happy book. If you lost six close people in your life in the course of three months that you still hadn’t recovered from, and then the love of your life dumped you over email, you would have to stop reading too. It’s also six hundred pages, which is intimidating. If you don’t like sad books, you won’t like this book. I highly recommend it, though, even if nonfiction or autobiographies aren’t your thing. Just do yourself a favor and don’t see the film, the talented and attractive Colin Morgan aside. I should’ve known consolidating six hundred pages into two hours was gonna be shitty. Please read the book. You don’t need to see the movie.
5. Letters from Skye, by Jessica Brockmole (a book written by someone under 30): I guessed to make this one fit on the challenge list. In reminding myself the name of the author (aka googling the book), I noticed that this has also become a movie. I have not seen it, but I think this is more adaptable to film than the previous book. Two timelines intersect in this epistolary novel that I listened to on tape: Elspeth from the Isle of Skye and her American beau Davy during World War 1, and Elspeth’s daughter Margaret during World War 2. It wasn’t bad. It was cute with a happy ending. And the audiobook was great because every character was a different reader, and their accents fit the character’s nationality. I recommend it.
6. Let’s Talk About Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris (a funny book): I’ll be honest with you. I read a lot of Sedaris this year and I can’t keep them straight. I will say this, however: the audiobooks, voiced by Sedaris himself, are better than just reading the novel. And he’s very funny in everything he writes. I don’t remember which stories are in this book, but I recommend it.
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, JK Rowling (A book by a female author): See #1. Book 6 of the HP series. Yes I recommend it.
8. Wicked, Gregory Maguire (a book with a one-word title): I’m not done with this one yet, but I’m close so I’ve included it. I’ve seen the musical and have had the songs memorized for close to ten years now. Guys, the book is so much better. It’s more interesting, has more characters, Morrible is horrible. Fiyero is POC, Elphaba is implied to be bi or pan (at least that’s how I see it), Elphie and Nessarose have a little brother named Shell, implied gay munchkin college boys. Guys, it’s wonderful. I’m not done yet, I kind of hate all the characters for some reason or other, and I highly recommend it anyway.
9. Green but for a Season, CS Pacat (a short story): Don’t read until you’ve read the Captive Prince trilogy. This short story follows two side characters in the middle of Prince’s Gambit, and it makes what we know about Jord and Aimeric so much more tragic. It’s actually changed some of my opinions of Aimeric. It’s really short and I wish it was longer, but I recommend it (AFTER you’ve read the trilogy, guys, seriously!)
10. When Marnie Was There, by Joan G. Robinson (a book set in a different country): This is a young adult novel that was recently adapted into a really great film by Studio Ghibli. The film is on par with Howl’s Moving Castle, which is my favorite movie, animated or otherwise, and I love the book even more (which was my experience with Howl, too). The twist towards the end had me sobbing all over the book. Aspects of it could be construed as queerbaiting, but the message and the bond between Marnie and Anna is so sweet that even I can forgive Robinson for some probably unintentional queerbaiting. This book is so wonderful I could wax poetic about it for ages. Highly, highly recommend.
11. The Marquis Lafayette Reconsidered (a non fiction book): I am in love with Lafayette, guys, and it’s not just because of Daveed Diggs. I read two books about him this year. This one was tedious, mostly because I am a slow-ass reader of non fiction. Lafayette was a prominent figure in two revolutions, and if that interests you then I recommend this book. If Lafayette isn’t really top of your priorities when it comes to non fiction this might bore you. I liked it though. Recommended.
12. The Dark Wife, by Sarah Diemer (a popular author’s first book): Yeah, I know I’m reaching with the “popular author” part. This is the story of Hades and Persephone as you have never seen it before. It restores the original myth in which Persephone goes to the underworld of her own free will. I mean, she goes to save herself, but she chooses to go. Hades is actually a woman. Lesbian retellings are the best retellings. But it’s so heartfelt. Persephone’s love for Hades is boundless. I highly recommend this one too.
13. When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris (a book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet): Another Sedaris book. See #6. Recommend.
14. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Rick Riordan (a book a friend recommended): Rec’d by @hermioneisthegreatest. I think this is Percy Jackson book 2? I’m not done with the series, but I do recommend it.
15. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz (an award-winning book): Guys, guys. You don’t know beautiful until you’ve read this book. Two teenage boys who couldn’t be more different meet and come of age. And, though they hardly realize it as it happens, fall in love. It’s sweet, and cute, and heartfelt. And I fucking NEED you guys to read this book. Better yet, Hamilton/Moana/In the Heights fans, get the audiobook, like I did. Seven hours of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s voice, guys. Highly, highly, recommend.
16. The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larsson (a book based on a true story): I also listened to the audiobook for this one. Narrators read non fiction faster than I do, and it was an engaging book to listen to while driving four hours home for breaks. Recommend.
17-20. The Raven Cycle, by Maggie Stiefvater (four books: a book set in high school, a book with a love triangle, a book with a color in the title, and a book at the bottom of your to-read list, respectively): This series was really interesting, with a lot of twists and turns. Three chapters into The Raven Boys and I had promptly adopted the four boys and one girl that are the main characters. One of the main characters is bisexual and another is gay (they get together. It is glorious). It also dealt a lot with Welsh mythology, which has caught my interest ever since studying abroad in Swansea, Wales a few years ago. I read Shiver by Stiefvater, too, a few years ago, but didn’t really like it. I think Raven Cycle is way better. I recommend all four.
21. Irish Verse Anthology, various authors (a book based entirely on its cover): This is just what it sounds like: a collection of Irish poetry by a variety of poets from early times until the present. It wasn’t bad. It just took a long time to read such a small volume. If you like poetry or Irish literature, I’d recommend it. Otherwise, probably not.
22. Letters to my Daughter, by Maya Angelou (a memoir): This was the first book by Angelou I read. I’ve read some of her poems, but I really liked this. I got it on audiobook, too (going to school four hours from home and driving twenty minutes each day to student teaching will do that to you). This was a memoir of Angelou’s life and the lessons she’s learned over the years. It was really interesting, and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t an audiobook. But it was good, and I recommend it.
23. Crush, by Richard Siken (a book you can finish in a day): I’ve read this innumerable times, so I knew I could finish it in a day. This is a collection of LGBT (more specifically, gay) poetry, and OH MY GOD. This is in my top five favorite books. I read it all the time. This is the book that made me fall in love with poetry, back in high school. I probably wouldn’t have read Irish Verse Anthology if I hadn’t read this amazing work. Forget the other highly, highly recommended books, put down the book(s) you’re currently reading, and read this book RIGHT NOW.
24. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell (a book with antonyms in the title): The second Lafayette biography I read this year. This one just focuses on Lafayette’s impact on the US. Vowell is much easier to read, and she’s funny, too. The only tedious part was that there are no chapter breaks. I recommend this if you want to read a biography about an unsung American Hero.
25. Atlas of Remote Islands, by Judith Schalansky (a book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit): This was really interesting. Each entry was on a different remote island, some deserted and some with very few inhabitants. Each entry had the map of the island, who owns it, the name for the island by the owning country and the native people, a timeline of history of the island, and a short story about it. I heard of this book on a podcast, I believe “Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know.” I really enjoyed it. It was easy to read. Recommended.
26-28. Captive Prince Trilogy, by CS Pacat (a trilogy): THIS. THIS is what you have to read before Green But For a Season. You don’t even have to read the short story if you don’t want to. But you really need to read this trilogy. It’s awesome. It’s fantasy and gay and romantic. But the romance isn’t even the central part. Laurent is my favorite asshole. Damen is so sweet and sassy as fuck. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Seriously. I can’t do this series justice.
29. Charlotte’s Web, by EB White (a book from your childhood): I read this with my student teaching class. It’s a classic. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s definitely worth the read. Recommend, especially with young readers.
30. Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller (a book that made you cry): The highly acclaimed retelling of the Illiad from the perspective of Patroclus, Achilles’ lover. Yes, it made me cry, and yes, it was worth it. It’s so wonderful and well written, and heartbreaking at the end (you know how it ends). Seriously, it was really good. Highly recommend.
31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by JK Rowling (a book with magic): Last book in the HP series. See #1 and 7. Recommended.
32. The “Hamil-tome”, by Lin-Manuel Miranda (a book by an author you’ve never read before): I don’t remember what it’s actually called. Everything you wanted to know about the musical, the lyrics, the cast, the crew, and the Hamilton Story. If you love this groundbreaking musical, this is definitely a book for you. Recommend.
33. The Distance to Home, by Jenn Bishop (a book that takes place in your hometown): Okay, so this doesn’t take place actually in my hometown, but it’s implied to be a suburb of Chicago, so close enough. This is a middle grade novel about baseball, family, and loss. Also, I have known this author for ten years (personally. It’s her first novel). Please read. Recommend, especially for 5-6th graders.
34. War of the Foxes, by Richard Siken (a book of poems): I made up this category so I could read this book. I didn’t know Siken had another book published. I found his tumblr this year, and flipped shit basically. This book takes on a much darker tone than the last one, and isn’t as gay and romantic. It’s mostly about war and the consequences it brings to civilians, soldiers, and the environment of the war zone. It was really interesting, but it was such a huge emotional shift from Crush that it was hard for me to understand. But see, I get different things out of Crush every time I read it, so I think when I reread this I’ll get more out of it. I recommend, just keep in mind that it’s very different from Crush.
35. The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry (a book set during Christmas): I love this story. I try to read it every year. It’s such a heartfelt parable about love and sacrifice. If you haven’t read it, I really recommend it. It’s very short and worth the time.
36. The Night Circus, by Erin Morganstern (a book written by an author with your same initials): Also an audiobook. I picked this as filler. I wasn’t really interested, but guys. It exceeded my expectations. I was invested in almost every character, it was interesting, and I really enjoyed listening to it. Recommend.
37. In Search of Ancient Ireland (a book based on or turned into a TV show): This was long and tedious, but I liked it. It covers Irish history from prehistoric times until the Norman invasion in the eleventh century. It was really pretty good. Recommend.
38. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (a book you started but never finished): I finally read this. It was really good, much better than the movie (not much of a shock there; most books usually are). I recommend it. If you’re hinging your reasons for not reading the book on the quality of the film, I strongly recommend you give it a try.
39. The Cursed Child, by JK Rowling (a play): This book/play has received mixed reviews. Yes, there’s a lot of unnecessary plot holes. Yes, we were queerbaited. Yes, certain parts were like tropes out of a crack fanfiction. But the storyline itself was very interesting. And the clear love (brotherly, platonic, romantic, however you want to look at it) between Albus and Scorpius is just the sweetest thing. And what made me so happy because we really didn’t see this with a Malfoy in the books, is that Scorpius is KIND. And you just know Draco had to instill that into this little eleven-year-old child. Scorpius is so gd kind it’s the sweetest thing. In spite of the not so awesome points, I highly recommend this.
I set my reading goal last year at 180 books and read 210 books in total, falling 25 books short of my 2015 total. Into this figure I factored in any events which may have left me unable or not wanting to read for a limited time and I am grateful that I did, as mid year to Autumn I did suffer with worsening health and I had the opportunity to try different things. Despite this I am delighted by…
Okay, so here are the details of the 50-book Reading Challenge that I said I'd share on NYE. I didn't follow a list or anything, but I tried to make sure I got in some classics and must-reads in there apart from my usual stuff (fantasy and fiction).
I'm proud that I managed to finish strong with 53 ^^
And here they are (The ones marked with an asterisk are my favourites of the year) :
January:
• A Series of Unfortunate Events (13) - Lemony Snicket
• Animal Farm - George Orwell
• A Countess Below Stairs - Eva Ibbotson*
• And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
• Night - Elie Wiesel
• Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
• The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd*
February:
• Song for Summer - Eva Ibbotson
March:
• A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson*
• Madensky Square - Eva Ibbotson
May
• Beanstalk - E. Jade Lomax*
June
• Finding Audrey - Sophie Kinsella
• The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls*
• 1984 - George Orwell
• The Fill-In Boyfriend - Kasie West
• The Diviners - Libba Bray
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
• I Was Here - Gayle Forman
• The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
July
• Heidi-Johanna Spyri*
August
• The Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
• Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
• Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas
• Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Maas
• Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas
• Dumplin' - Julie Murphy
• A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
• Rebel Angels - Libba Bray
October
• Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
• The Morning Gift - Eva Ibbotson
• Carry On - Rainbow Rowell*
• Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone*
November
• Magic Flutes - Eva Ibbotson
• Which Witch - Eva Ibbotson
• The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
December
• The Stranger - Camus
• The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller*
• Made you up - Francesca Zappia
• The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam*
• The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry*
• The Help - Kathryn Stockett*
Frenzy by Robert Lettrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed trying to figure out what kids had what motives, who would do what, who would live or who would die, and what next terrible thing was going to happen. I wondered how the 'frenzy' could ever be contained. I wondered if this was a lead up to a post-apocalyptic world.
I'll say that you don't quite know who is going to survive. As things happen, people get hurt or die that you didn't expect. The end of the book made me sad. I liked inferring details about the characters, because so much isn't told to you - simply because it's not relevant to their situation. Thus, it's left to the reader to take implied facts and build the characters up more fully that way.
One issue I had with this book, that kept coming up, is Heath's pain. Every few chapters, the narration would mention how Heath's body hurt all over or how it was hard to keep going through the pain or whatever. And yet I never SAW the pain. He never stumbled, never hesitated, never failed to do something physical, never cried because it was getting to be too much, never slowed down because all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and wait for the pain to go away. The narration said he had pain, but the book never showed it to me, and that bothered me more and more as the story went along. Him being in pain, in so much pain (according to the narration) should have had some impact on the story, and it never did.
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The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you've seen the movie then you have.....DEFINITELY not seen the story of The DUFF. I watched the movie and just sat there in complete befuddlement. The only similarity is their names, and even some of those are only the same first name with a different last name. What?
The first 30% of this book was, for me, a bit boring and confusing. I kept waiting for the plot to start She's the DUFF. Where was her doing anything about that? Where was that effecting her life? I mean, she thought about it randomly, but her behavior didn't change because of that. It changed because of other stuff happening in her life. So...what's the big deal with being the DUFF?
The characters in this book are flawed. Highly flawed in ways. However, I did believe the relationships between all of the characters - the friendships and romantics and families. At first I thought the characters themselves were pretty flat, but they gain depth as the story goes along (tho it takes awhile for that to happen). And if I hadn't read the story up to the end, if I'd just read some of the later scenes, I would've thought one of the characters was a total creeper. All that saves them is the reader's previous knowledge about them.
Really one of the only things that I keep thinking about that bugs me about the world building in this book is that no one gets in trouble for being late to class. Like, really?
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Book 42: "Once upon a different time, there was a girl who lived in a kingdom of death." - Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. This book was really good. It was slow to get into but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the next book.
