Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

Book #197 (Unique books)
Book #6 in 2013

 Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

by Neil Gaiman

 "In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion . . . and anything is possible. In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders--where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality, obscured by smoke and darkness yet brilliantly tangible, in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams."

November 25th to February 18th - a lot of days - 339 pages

Notes:

Read mostly as bedtime stories. 

Favorite stories:

The Wedding Present (most favorite)

Chivalry

The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories

Changes

Shoggoth's Old Peculiar (I like this one because I first heard it live at An Evening With Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer)

Looking For The Girl

We Can Get Them For You Wholesale

Murder Mysteries

All The Wrong Questions: "Who Could That Be at This Hour?"

Book #196 (Unique books)
Book #5 in 2013

 All The Wrong Questions: "Who Could That Be at This Hour?"

by Lemony Snicket

"Before you consider reading 'Who Could That Be at This Hour?' ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you curious about what is happening in a seaside town that is no longer by the sea?

2. Do you want to know more about a stolen item that wasn't stolen at all?

3. Do you really think that's any of your business? Why? What kind of person are you? Are you sure?

4. Who is that standing behind you?"

February 2nd to 6th - 5 days - 258 pages

Notes:

NEW LEMONY SNICKET

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

Book #195 (Unique books)
Book #4 in 2013

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

by L. J. Smith

 "Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her.

Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them."

February 1st to 2nd - 1 1/2 days - 255 pages

Notes:

Man, this is so awful. But it was really easy to read so I just kept reading it. Like reading a bad fanfiction, especially after watching the show. Don't get me wrong, the show is terrible, but pretty sure the books are worse. It's likely at some point I will end up reading some of the other ones just because they're so angsty and ridiculous and I can read them really dramatically, but goodness are they bad.

Sorry L. J. Smith. This is just like everything I hate about YA books wrapped up into one teenage stereotypical mess.