2015 What I'm Reading #12

Time for Round 2

This round, my goal is to start a daily writing practice.  I am starting by completing Blogging University's Writing 101 through The Daily Post.  I will be posting on my blog daily using the prompt and twist provided.  I will also be continuing to work on my reading goal of 30 books this year.

Here is my e-bookshelf.  I have just started reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.  I am really looking forward to reading this book.  I have heard good things about it.  Next on my reading list is The Alchemyst by Michael Scott.  I recently finished reading the first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.  Overall I enjoyed it, but at times I just wanted it to be over.  The book ended with a pretty big cliffhanger, so I may have to read the next one in the series even if I don't want to.  I don't know how much I like books that end with cliffhangers :)

Here's what I have read so far this year:

Number of Books Read: 16

January

1. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
2. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
3. The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
5. Blue Bloods: The Keys to the Repository by Melissa de la Cruz
6. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

February

1. Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz
2. Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

March
1. The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill

April

1. The Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
2. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

May
1. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

2.  On Writing by Stephen King

June

3.  The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

What are you reading this week?

Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as Movies/TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  Check out future topics here.

Here are ten books I would like to see as movies or tv shows.  Some of these are already in development, so maybe I will get lucky enough to see them as real movies/tv shows some day :)

1.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (in development)

2.  A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

3.  Blue Blood Series by Melissa de la Cruz

4.  Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld

5.  Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

6.  All of Joe Hill's books (Horns is already a movie, of course)

7.  The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

8.  The Line by JD Horn

9.  The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

10.  American Gods by Neil Gaiman (STARZ is making a tv show)

What books would you like to see as movies?

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

What it's About:
I see dead people. But then, by God, I do something about it. Odd Thomas never asked for his special ability. He’s just an ordinary guy trying to live a quiet life in the small desert town of Pico Mundo. Yet he feels an obligation to do right by his otherworldly confidants, and that’s why he’s won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death. But when a childhood friend disappears, Odd discovers something worse than a dead body and embarks on a heart-stopping battle of will and wits with an enemy of exceptional cunning. In the hours to come there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. 
 
You’re invited on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror and transcendence to wonders beyond imagining. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas. - from Amazon.com

What I Thought:
This is the second book in Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series that I have read, and I cannot wait to read more.  Here are some of the things that I love:

The Narrator:  The books are written by the main character, Odd, after the action takes place as a way to process his feelings.  This allows for clever comments and insights made in hindsight.  In fact, this narrator has a lot of clever comments.  I love his voice.  You can really feel his personality in every word.  You can see some great examples on my quote page (above).

The Characters:  Odd Thomas has some amazing people in his life.  An overweight mystery writer with an evil cat.  A diner owner and police chief who love him like family.  The ghost of Elvis (and other assorted dead people) who follows him around town.  I love them all.

Psychic Magnetism:  An ability that is both a blessing and a curse at times, psychic magnetism leads Odd where he needs/wants to be.  Odd uses this ability to solve mysteries and crimes, sometimes before they have even occurred.  I can imagine using it to find my husband's keys or wallet :)

The Villain:  Wow.  The villain in this book is a sexy woman who is fascinated by the supernatural and especially by Odd's psychic abilities and has two beefy reanimated corpses assisting her.  It makes for an interesting story.

So far I would definitely recommend this series and I am hoping that the next book is just as entertaining.

Have you ever read this book?  What did you think?