I used to hate reading biographies. Like, a lot. Then something happened. I guess I grew up? Or maybe, comedians like Tina Fey started writing books and they were interesting and funny while teaching you a little something. It certainly started with Tina Fey for me.
Last year I read Bossy Pants and discovered that I actually LIKED biographies. That led me to reading As You Wish, and those led me to reading four biographies so far this year.
Yes Please - Amy Poehler - 329 Pages
4/5 Stars
YES. PLEASE. Amy Poehler has been my queen since the beginning of Parks and Recreation. I genuinely like her and her comedy. She delivers big laughs and big heart in her book which she says she had a very hard time writing. I only hope that the hardness of the task doesn't actually keep her from writing another. I found this book to be better organized than Bossy Pants, the thread of stories and experiences has an understandable flow as it unfolds. The Parks and Rec section slayed me and her stories of forgiveness brought tears to my eyes. Yes, Amy is funny, but she's also very wise. The main purpose of this book isn't to make you laugh (but you sure will) and I found that to be much more endearing that Bossy Pants as well. Poehler fans, this is a must read.
Food: A Love Story - Jim Gaffigan - 340 Pages
4/5 Stars
I am a soul sister of Jim Gaffigan. I too am not a foodie. I am an eatie. I'd rather eat the food than take pictures of it and I'd rather eat something delicious than something good for me. Yes, this whole book is about food, so don't read it while you're hungry. I wasn't hungry but still found myself craving some french fries every time I opened the book. It's pretty funny that this was the longest biography I read when it's all about Jim's relationship with food, and that's it. A bit of each chapter was similar to or word for word from Jim's standup special Mr. Universe, but that didn't bug me since I love that special. There is, however, a lot of new material, so if you like Jim Gaffigan's comedy or you love food, this book was written for you.
Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) In Song - Sara Bareilles - 208 Pages
5/5 Stars
Sara Bareilles wrote a book.
Have you left to buy it yet?... I'll wait.
I have never connected to a musicians music like Sara's. Her lyrics are so honest and personal, how could I not? Her book writing is just as honest and lovely. Each chapter is named after a song of hers and tells about that time in her life. It almost read like a life guide. I could read this book a thousand times because there's so much to learn from Sara, and it's only 200 pages! Sara also wrote about the struggle of writing this book, but I never would have been able to tell. I'll just keep reading this book until I get to see Waitress.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling - 222 Pages
5/5 Stars
Oh my gosh, a famous person gets me. I honestly felt like Mindy was looking into my soul and sharing all of my fears and hopes. I don't know how to describe it other than that. She shares funny life stories, stories from the writer's room of The Office, gives advice to Men, and just keeps it real. This was probably my favorite (or tied with Sara Bareilles) to read because it just felt so real and relatable in every chapter. Even if you don't know much about Mindy Kaling I recommend this book to biography readers and even non-biography readers looking for a fun and poignant read.
Read On,
Jamie
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Six of Crows
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo - 462 pages
"Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet."
You know when you read a book and you could talk for hours about all the beautiful writing, life lessons, and perspective on life it gave you? That's wonderful. You know what's also wonderful? When you read a book past three in the morning because you need to read "just one more chapter". When you giggle or gasp out loud in public spaces because you are so engrossed in what you're reading. When you know the book you're reading has flaws, but it's so easy to look past them because you just love living in that world for a little while. When you finish the book and all you can say is "Jarlnwgrboaiebwngerzaowefoi!!!??!"
Six of Crows was the latter for me. I haven't had that much fun reading a book since Golden Son. And even though a part of my brain every once and a while would whisper "But that doesn't make sense" or "Obvious plot device", I'd reply with "SHUT UP WHO CARES LOOK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT"
"A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse. What bound them together? Greed? Desperation? Was it just the knowledge that if one or all of them disappeared tonight, no one would come looking?"
I'm a sucker for a good heist story. I mean, Oceans 11? Come on. A group of lowlifes banding together to pull off the impossible? Yes please. Thieves, assassins, and thugs you come to care for tricking everyone (including you) and making you laugh, gasp, and cry along the way? Gimmie. Six of Crows isn't just a good heist story, it's a great one. Not only do you get non-stop action (and I mean non-stop, this book just keeps punching), you also get interesting backstories. The kind you actually CARE about and don't skim over to get back to the main plot.
Do you want to read a book with action, sass, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of heart centered on a group of outcasts led by a Demon in gloves breaking into an extremely secure building to steal an impossible target?
Six of Crows is your book.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be over here, adding to the hype. And adding myself to the six of crows crew. (What do you mean you can't use an emotional fan girl??)
Read on,
Jamie
"Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet."
You know when you read a book and you could talk for hours about all the beautiful writing, life lessons, and perspective on life it gave you? That's wonderful. You know what's also wonderful? When you read a book past three in the morning because you need to read "just one more chapter". When you giggle or gasp out loud in public spaces because you are so engrossed in what you're reading. When you know the book you're reading has flaws, but it's so easy to look past them because you just love living in that world for a little while. When you finish the book and all you can say is "Jarlnwgrboaiebwngerzaowefoi!!!??!"
Six of Crows was the latter for me. I haven't had that much fun reading a book since Golden Son. And even though a part of my brain every once and a while would whisper "But that doesn't make sense" or "Obvious plot device", I'd reply with "SHUT UP WHO CARES LOOK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT"
"A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse. What bound them together? Greed? Desperation? Was it just the knowledge that if one or all of them disappeared tonight, no one would come looking?"
I'm a sucker for a good heist story. I mean, Oceans 11? Come on. A group of lowlifes banding together to pull off the impossible? Yes please. Thieves, assassins, and thugs you come to care for tricking everyone (including you) and making you laugh, gasp, and cry along the way? Gimmie. Six of Crows isn't just a good heist story, it's a great one. Not only do you get non-stop action (and I mean non-stop, this book just keeps punching), you also get interesting backstories. The kind you actually CARE about and don't skim over to get back to the main plot.
Do you want to read a book with action, sass, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of heart centered on a group of outcasts led by a Demon in gloves breaking into an extremely secure building to steal an impossible target?
Six of Crows is your book.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be over here, adding to the hype. And adding myself to the six of crows crew. (What do you mean you can't use an emotional fan girl??)
Read on,
Jamie
Sunday, January 10, 2016
2015 in review
So, in true Jamie fashion, I forgot to keep up with the blog. Sorry 2015.
To be very honest, I got disenchanted with reading for a while. I didn't really want to read the books I had started and I didn't want to start any new ones. In fact, all I wanted to do was binge watch Daredevil and Jessica Jones (thanks Netflix...)
It didn't take much to fix this feeling though. All it took was a couple of good books. And changing genres.
I love reading historical fiction and non-fiction; I also love reading high fantasy and YA fiction. If I read too many books in a row of the same genera, however, I lose all interest. I didn't realize I needed to switch up my books until I couldn't even finish a book I had been waiting a year and a half to read. So I put that book down and picked up one of a completely different genera. It was then that I ripped through three books in less than a week.
I think I explained during summer last year that I needed a fluffy book because I was reading so many heavy books (I'm talking content wise), well the opposite happened at the end of the year. I was reading too much fluff and not enough meaningful subjects.
So if you're experiencing reading block, I suggest changing it up.
In other news, happy new year! I completed 48/50 books on time. I completed my 49th book on New Year's Day and am over half way through that (800 page) book I put down.
I've also already finished three new books, so there's more than enough for me already in 2016!
Before I move on to 2016 though, I'd like to reprise the tradition of summarizing the books I read this year, including my favorite books and total page count.
~ 2015 ~
50 Books
19,061 Pages
Shortest Book : King Charles III (well, it IS a play...)
Longest Book: Winter (824 pages)
$4.00 in library fees...
Read 12 books released in 2015
Oldest book: North and South (1854)
Re-reads: 2 (48 new books!)
Twenty-two 5 Star books
Seventeen 4 Star books
Eight 3 Star books
Three 2 Star books
Zero 1 Star books (I'm not heartless)
6 new series:
Mistborn, Half a King, Winner's Curse, Kiss of Deception, Red Rising, & Throne of Glass
Biggest plot twist:
Golden Son
My mind is still tripping over itself from that ending. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is the actual face I made when I read it. Morning Star cannot come out soon enough!
Most eye rolls:
TIE. Court of Thorns and Roses & Winner's Crime
You want to find out how ridiculous a book is? Have your little sister read the climax out loud to you and your entire family. I was SO sick of Court of Thorns and Blah, that's what I did. I think I permanently strained my eyes from that experience.
Funniest:
The Princess Bride
Imagine the movie, but funnier. Yeah.
Biggest Disappointment:
Queen of Shadows
Trust me. No one wants another rant. But you can read my other one and see some more spot on gifs HERE.
Most tears shed:
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Still crying.
~ TOP 10 ~
10. Code Name Verity
9. A Thousand Splendid Suns
8. Ember in the Ashes
7. Red Rising
6. Mistborn
5. As You Wish / The Princess Bride
4. Crown of Midnight
I'm still pretending Queen of Shadows doesn't exist so it's presence doesn't taint my love for Crown of Midnight. The heart in this book mixed with the amount of assassin awesomeness broke my heart and put it back together. #Chaolaenaforever #Chaolisendgame #GetawayfrommeAelin
3. A Pleasure to Burn
And what a pleasure it was. I read this book at work a lot and often had people stop me to see what I was reading. When I held the book up with a giant grin, most of them walked off without a word! It was just like magic. Such a poignant, captivating read for me.
2. Golden Son
As I explained above, and in my original review, I am incapable of talking about the end of this book without hysterics. I really enjoyed Red Rising, but Golden Son is on another level of mind blowing. I recommended this book to a couple of people who "like" it... but I still need someone to help me through this hard time (it's been a freaking YEAR) before Morning Star comes out. I never thought one of my favorite books would be sci-fi, but here we are.
I don't think I'll be able to top what I wrote in my original review, so go read that. I'll take this chance to say again that there was one point where I couldn't for the life of me flip the page fast enough. While parts of this book are beautiful and slow, there's definitely some page flipping, heart stopping action too. It's the mix of the two that captivated me and brought these characters so near to my heart. It's the mix of the two that makes it feel real and true to life. It's the mix of the two that won it the Pulitzer Prize. So do yourself a favor and read All The Light We Cannot See.
There you have it! A whole year in one post! And what a great year for reading it was. I got to read some classics that I had never read before such as The Hobbit, but I also got to read some brand new books and beginning what looks like a great series in An Ember in the Ashes. I read some books I'll never forget and some books I'm trying to forget. Goodreads says I averaged above a 4 Star rating in 2015 which may say something about how I rate books... or it may say that I read some really great books. I can't wait to see what 2016 bring me!
This year (at the end of this month in fact) I'm moving to Japan! So my book count is going to be less than 2015, but that's not terrible. As I'm thinking about setting a specific number, I'll continue to blog the books I've finished. So stay tuned!
Read on,
Jamie
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Elantris, The Girl on the Train, and More
Here are the books to fill my reading requirement for 2015! Strap in friends, this is the final countdown.
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell - 521 pages
18) A book 100+ years old
Published in 1854, North and South is basically the Elizabeth/Darcy Pride and Prejudice romance set in a factory town with strike/union themes on top of it all.
The first time I read North and South it was because I had just finished watching the BBC miniseries version with Richard Armitage and LOVED it. I strongly identified with Margaret Hale. She is independent, confident, kind hearted, and couldn't care less if men are falling over in love with her. She is fiercely loyal to her family and is content out of the spot light. Yet, she still lacks total social decorum and always speaks her mind. She comes to understand her heart through her experiences, but they don't change her. And who wouldn't fall in love with John Thornton so masterfully portrayed by Mr. Armitage.
I loved reading the book the first time but didn't think I would ever find the time to read it again. It is pretty long and a lot of the union/strike plots went over my head. Getting to read it a second time and let myself understand the whole story (which is only a touch different from the miniseries) made me enjoy it even more. If you're a fan of 1800s literature, I highly recommend North and South.
Home and Away - Dean Hughes - 176 pages
41) A book set during a holiday
I have NEVER won anything in life. Okay, let me be more clear. I have NEVER won a random drawing in my life. I have entered plenty in school, at work, and even at Disneyland, but I have never yet won. My mother, on the other hand, wins stuff like that all the time (too bad she wasn't with us that time at Disneyland.) She won this book at a girls night out party that is hosted twice a year at a local bookstore. I took her ticket to the front when her name was announced to pick it up. She has not seen the book since. That's because it's on my bookshelf now.
This book is set during the Christmas season... during WWII. It's 1944 and while most the family is home, the oldest son Glen is fighting in Europe. The points of view change back and forth between Glen in the battlefields and Dennis who is trying to give his Mother an unforgettable Christmas gift.
It's a one day read, so saying it's worth your time doesn't say much. So I'll say, read this book. Then give it as a gift next Christmas. Not because you won't want to keep it, but rather, if this book taught me anything, it's the true meaning of giving during the Christmas season.
Elantris - Brandon Sanderson - 638 pages
12) A popular author's first book
In one year, this was my fourth Brandon Sanderson book. This was his first book and it was good, but it certainly wasn't his best. I could feel him developing characters that would reappear in the Mistborn trilogy. That being said, it wasn't a bad book either. But you can certainly see the progression he's made as an author as he's gone along.
I don't really know how to describe this book. Maybe reading the synopsis on Goodreads would be easier for both of us. So instead I'll just be vague. The three main characters don't all meet each other until about half way (or more) through the book. This gave Sanderson a great opportunity to tie the story all together since we as an audience knew more than each individual character.
It can stress you out at times, knowing almost everything and letting the characters figure it out in their own time. But it can also be comical at times and ended up being one of my favorite parts of this book.
I recommend reading Mistborn first. If you love those books and need more writing from Sanderson, read Elantris.
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins - 325 pages
38) A book a family member loves
So maybe my sister-in-law doesn't LOVE this book, but she did at least like it enough to make me read it. I've very glad she did. I read this book in two days. I read it at work. I read it in cars. I read it at a family gathering. I read it late into the night. I was so captivated by Paula Hawkins' writing style and the story she wove together that I didn't ever want to put the book down. I need to read more thrillers.
The story is a complicated who-done-it/what-the-heck-happened. The protagonist, Rachel, is a dysfunctional alcoholic consumed with regret and sadness from her divorce. Unreliable narrator? Check. One night she drinks too much and ends up blacking out, the same night a girl goes missing from the same area. Mystery? Check. But as Rachel investigates the disappearance, she discovers more about her own life, and that inevitably puts her in danger. Thrilled yet?
Recommended to those in the 16+ category, this is one thriller you shouldn't miss (even if you can guess the twist like I did, it's still worth the time)
Never, Never - Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher - 159 pages
46) A book written by two authors
Ugh. This was a prime example of a requirement forcing me to read something I otherwise wouldn't read and me hating it.
These two teenagers suddenly can't remember anything about their lives one day. This includes: their names, their families, what classes they take, their friends, where they live, what they like. All they know is that they found one other person going through the same thing and apparently they're dating.
I don't know why I had such an adverse reaction to this story. Probably because it's in three parts and NOTHING happened in this one. Not until the very end anyway. The blurb made it sound so cool. I thought they were going to be in a car accident and one of them loses their memories. I didn't think it wouldn't be voodoo stuff. So is this a fantasy? The authors seem to think it's a romance. I think it's pretty much a waste of your time.
Winter - Marissa Meyer - 824 pages
1) A book with 800+ pages
Fitting, that number one list wise would be the last completed requirement.
Honestly, if you read YA, if you like sci-fi or fairytales, or if (like me) you're interested what the heck a sci-fi fairytale mix would look like, pick up the Lunar Chronicles series stat.
It starts with Cinder. (Or you could read Fairest first, since it's a prequel) It ends with Winter. You will not be disappointed. I will remain vague and mysterious about what happens in this book since it's basically the grand finale.
Meyer continues her fine tradition of adding a new set of awesome characters in Winter. As I'm sure you figured out by the cover and the title, this part of the story will be based off of Snow White. While the crew spends most of the book split up, it's still very fun to see the characters interact.
If you've been reading the series, I'm sure you already know the end is satisfying. If you haven't read the series, get on that.
Well there they are! 50 books!
I'll save the big wrap up for my next post.
Read on,
Jamie
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell - 521 pages
18) A book 100+ years old
Published in 1854, North and South is basically the Elizabeth/Darcy Pride and Prejudice romance set in a factory town with strike/union themes on top of it all.
The first time I read North and South it was because I had just finished watching the BBC miniseries version with Richard Armitage and LOVED it. I strongly identified with Margaret Hale. She is independent, confident, kind hearted, and couldn't care less if men are falling over in love with her. She is fiercely loyal to her family and is content out of the spot light. Yet, she still lacks total social decorum and always speaks her mind. She comes to understand her heart through her experiences, but they don't change her. And who wouldn't fall in love with John Thornton so masterfully portrayed by Mr. Armitage.
I loved reading the book the first time but didn't think I would ever find the time to read it again. It is pretty long and a lot of the union/strike plots went over my head. Getting to read it a second time and let myself understand the whole story (which is only a touch different from the miniseries) made me enjoy it even more. If you're a fan of 1800s literature, I highly recommend North and South.
Home and Away - Dean Hughes - 176 pages
41) A book set during a holiday
I have NEVER won anything in life. Okay, let me be more clear. I have NEVER won a random drawing in my life. I have entered plenty in school, at work, and even at Disneyland, but I have never yet won. My mother, on the other hand, wins stuff like that all the time (too bad she wasn't with us that time at Disneyland.) She won this book at a girls night out party that is hosted twice a year at a local bookstore. I took her ticket to the front when her name was announced to pick it up. She has not seen the book since. That's because it's on my bookshelf now.
This book is set during the Christmas season... during WWII. It's 1944 and while most the family is home, the oldest son Glen is fighting in Europe. The points of view change back and forth between Glen in the battlefields and Dennis who is trying to give his Mother an unforgettable Christmas gift.
It's a one day read, so saying it's worth your time doesn't say much. So I'll say, read this book. Then give it as a gift next Christmas. Not because you won't want to keep it, but rather, if this book taught me anything, it's the true meaning of giving during the Christmas season.
Elantris - Brandon Sanderson - 638 pages
12) A popular author's first book
In one year, this was my fourth Brandon Sanderson book. This was his first book and it was good, but it certainly wasn't his best. I could feel him developing characters that would reappear in the Mistborn trilogy. That being said, it wasn't a bad book either. But you can certainly see the progression he's made as an author as he's gone along.
I don't really know how to describe this book. Maybe reading the synopsis on Goodreads would be easier for both of us. So instead I'll just be vague. The three main characters don't all meet each other until about half way (or more) through the book. This gave Sanderson a great opportunity to tie the story all together since we as an audience knew more than each individual character.
It can stress you out at times, knowing almost everything and letting the characters figure it out in their own time. But it can also be comical at times and ended up being one of my favorite parts of this book.
I recommend reading Mistborn first. If you love those books and need more writing from Sanderson, read Elantris.
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins - 325 pages
38) A book a family member loves
So maybe my sister-in-law doesn't LOVE this book, but she did at least like it enough to make me read it. I've very glad she did. I read this book in two days. I read it at work. I read it in cars. I read it at a family gathering. I read it late into the night. I was so captivated by Paula Hawkins' writing style and the story she wove together that I didn't ever want to put the book down. I need to read more thrillers.
The story is a complicated who-done-it/what-the-heck-happened. The protagonist, Rachel, is a dysfunctional alcoholic consumed with regret and sadness from her divorce. Unreliable narrator? Check. One night she drinks too much and ends up blacking out, the same night a girl goes missing from the same area. Mystery? Check. But as Rachel investigates the disappearance, she discovers more about her own life, and that inevitably puts her in danger. Thrilled yet?
Recommended to those in the 16+ category, this is one thriller you shouldn't miss (even if you can guess the twist like I did, it's still worth the time)
Never, Never - Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher - 159 pages
46) A book written by two authors
Ugh. This was a prime example of a requirement forcing me to read something I otherwise wouldn't read and me hating it.
These two teenagers suddenly can't remember anything about their lives one day. This includes: their names, their families, what classes they take, their friends, where they live, what they like. All they know is that they found one other person going through the same thing and apparently they're dating.
I don't know why I had such an adverse reaction to this story. Probably because it's in three parts and NOTHING happened in this one. Not until the very end anyway. The blurb made it sound so cool. I thought they were going to be in a car accident and one of them loses their memories. I didn't think it wouldn't be voodoo stuff. So is this a fantasy? The authors seem to think it's a romance. I think it's pretty much a waste of your time.
Winter - Marissa Meyer - 824 pages
1) A book with 800+ pages
Fitting, that number one list wise would be the last completed requirement.
Honestly, if you read YA, if you like sci-fi or fairytales, or if (like me) you're interested what the heck a sci-fi fairytale mix would look like, pick up the Lunar Chronicles series stat.
It starts with Cinder. (Or you could read Fairest first, since it's a prequel) It ends with Winter. You will not be disappointed. I will remain vague and mysterious about what happens in this book since it's basically the grand finale.
Meyer continues her fine tradition of adding a new set of awesome characters in Winter. As I'm sure you figured out by the cover and the title, this part of the story will be based off of Snow White. While the crew spends most of the book split up, it's still very fun to see the characters interact.
If you've been reading the series, I'm sure you already know the end is satisfying. If you haven't read the series, get on that.
Well there they are! 50 books!
I'll save the big wrap up for my next post.
Read on,
Jamie
Monday, November 16, 2015
You're not my Queen
Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas - 648 pages
50) Reader's Choice
(This is your formal warning that this isn't a review, it's a much needed rant)
But is it really a reader's choice? Do you choose to read the fourth book in a series you love? Yeah, I guess you do. But it didn't feel like it. Why? Sarah J. Maas held characters I loved as hostages to force me to struggle through this 648 page land of complaints.
I don't often have very strong feelings of anger towards a book or author, but it happens. It happens when you love a story and the author ruins it. And it happened with Queen of Shadows.
To help me (and you) through this confusing time I've included gifs, which explain my feelings better than I ever could.
To start off I'd like to share this gif representing my overall feelings and what I would like to ask Maas-
or, more appropriately, WHAT WHAT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE.
Please tell me Rowan hit Aelin over the head a little too hard and this whole book is just a really messed up dream Aelin had. Because I KNOW you wouldn't publish a fifth book in which everything the characters do is against what we know they would do in the previous four books! I KNOW you wouldn't throw away the important characters and relationships established for this fan fiction!
Or maybe I don't know you at all. (Yeah, probably that one) Thus bringing us to this gif, representing my reaction to every freaking character in this book and Maas herself.
I don't even recognize these characters.
In the eloquent words of Aelin herself,
"Things changed. I changed."
Ya don't say.
Aelin is not Celaena. Celaena, the sassy assassin went to Wendlyn and never came back. What returned in her place?
"It's Aelin now," she snapped as loudly as she dared. "Celaena Sardothien doesn't exist anymore."
The most perfect wonderful Queen of shadows and heir of fire, the mighty Aelin. Yeah. The one that wanted to kill her "friend" Dorian then DEIGNS to say SHE came back for him. Oh, but when it's Choal's idea and conviction to save his friend and King, it's a terrible idea and it would be a kindness to kill him and Choal is an idiot and we shouldn't trust him with anything. Ever.
#notbuyingyourcrap
SJM took Celaena overseas and replaced all the vibrant, deep characters with cheap imitations including Celaena herself. Suddenly, anyone without Fae blood is annoying and not good enough for Aelin.
"He (Aedion) and Rowan walked several paces ahead of Aelin, arrows loosely nocked in their bows as they picked out the way with their keen hearing and smell. If she had her damn Fae form, she could be helping instead of lingering behind with Chaol and Nesryn, but-"
Getting real tired of your crap Aelin.
Because Chaol isn't helping at all in this book, suddenly, he's turned into a burden to have along. He's human, and therefore not capable of anything useful. Oh, wait, there's this part -
"Chaol knew the forest best, having come hunting this way with Dorian countless times. He'd laid out a path for them the night before..."
Oh no Sarah J Maas, I think you made him too useful, better make him do something stupid and out of character. (Fast forward 18 pages)
"The path veered away, and Chaol had taken the wrong fork."
Yeah. Lost in this forest he's been in countless times. Couldn't even take the right path back to the city. Makes sense.
No. It doesn't make sense. Nice try. But someone had to get caught by the witches so that perfect Aelin could save them all with her cleverness. So why not Choal the useless human? Need we be reminded that Manon was going to let them go before Aelin egged her on? So, no Aelin. Rowan being shot wasn't Choal's fault for getting caught, it's yours for creating a battle with Ironteeth witches. (But mostly SJM's for the most obvious plot device ever)
#ChoalDeservesBetter2015
After all this, Aelin blames Choal for changing, saying there's so little left of the man she loved blah blah blah. Chased out of the castle, hunted down by the King, running a resistance, and all Aelin can focus on are the people he didn't save. The people he COULDN'T save! And when he drops this truth bomb -
"Do you understand what it was like for us here? While you were off playing with magic, off gallivanting with your faerie prince, do you understand what happened to me - to Dorian?"
Aelin's response is along the lines of HOW DARE YOU I AM A QUEEN YOU'VE DONE NOTHING HELPFUL I'M PERFECT LOOK AT ROWAN'S MUSCLES. So Choal states the obvious, mutual feeling.
You're not MY Queen.
Too much truth here. And yet it's used to further make Choal look like the bad guy.
CHOAL IS THE ONLY CHARACTER THAT MAKES SENSE ANYMORE despite SJM's attempt to make him the simpleminded backstabbing human.
So, we're sacrificing Choal, one of the best and most down to earth characters with real progression up until this book, for what SJM? We have to make Choal look bad because here comes the perfect wonderful flawless King of the world, Rowan.
Rowan.
Rowan is vanilla. Not french vanilla, that cardboard vanilla ice-cream that comes in the cheap plastic tubs. He's the most boring thing since white bread. How do I begin to describe Rowan...
That gif set is more interesting than Rowan.
There is something so boring about a perfect character. How can I even try to relate to you? I was so hoping to learn more about Rowan in this book. What did we learn? He's basically Aelin's dog. He does whatever he's told, he doesn't hold Aelin responsible for her actions, he doesn't really interact with anyone who doesn't have Fae blood, all he does in this book is try to guard Aelin during the day and try not to bed her at night. Despite the fact that their relationship is completely platonic is hammered into your head in Heir of Fire. I can almost hear the fangirls screaming, BUT HE'S PERFECT! HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HIM??
How I imagine SJM trying to sell their love to me: Their love is interesting! It forbidden! They both have perfect bodies! They're sexy! They both have true loves that have died! He'd make a perfect King to her Queen! He took an arrow for her! He says things like this!
"You’re here—and you’re perfect. You always were, and you always will be.” - Rowan
It's so hard to love a person who's perfect and worships you, huh SJM?
I think SJM should just run off with Rowan. Why would the famously independent Celaena Sardothien need an immortal faerie man to complete the tasks she was capable of doing alone before? SHE WAS SUCH A GREAT FEMALE CHARACTER. I think that's the biggest loss from this book. Capable, independent, and kind hearted despite her bringing up, Celaena was probably my favorite female character ever. Now we have Aelin who is condescending, self-righteous, dependent on Rowan to "put her back together", and willing to kill just about anyone.
"Do you understand," Aelin said very quietly to them, "that if I suspect they're going to betray us, they will die?"
It was true, and maybe it made her a monster to Chaol, but she didn't care.
"I know," Choal said.
"Then lead the way," Aelin said, her voice hollow. "And pray they can keep their mouths shut."
You're talking about killing the entire household of a midwife who is going to help your lover with an arrow through his shoulder. Forget Choal, that makes you a monster to ME. Celaena helped sneak people out of the country instead of murdering them for the King. Aelin is going to kill an entire household of good people if one of them speaks of seeing her to anyone.
Of course, there's really only one person to blame for this whole train wreck. Sarah J Maas. She continues to deliver great action sequences, but they are WAY too few and far between in this book. Unforgivably so. Excluding the Manon/Aelin battle and the so-short-it-was-almost-non-existant rescue of Aedion and murder of Arobyn, nothing happens in this book until the last one hundred pages. Meanwhile, we're treated to subpar writing with little nuggets of "gold" like this -
"What if we go on, only to find a horrible end waiting for us?"
Aelin looked northward, as if she could see all the way to Terrasen. "Then it is not the end.”
You're SO wise Aelin, did you get that off a Hallmark card? Oh, no, it's an inspirational poster.
I don't trust you Sarah J Maas. Everything is NOT okay. But with two more books to go until the end? I think I may have to call it quits here. It's really sad to me that I now have to accept this book as canon. I'd rather erase it from my mind and live with Crown of Midnight as a stand alone. So thanks for the angry feelings.
You're not my Queen,
#KnopeOut,
Jamie
Sunday, November 15, 2015
As You Wish, Half a War, & And Then There Were None
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride - Cary Elwes - 259 pages
37) A non-fiction book
This year seems to be the year of The Princess Bride. I finally read the book earlier this year, then I had a Princess Bride birthday, THEN this book came into my life.
Cary Elwes was cast as Westley in The Princess Bride at age 24 having never done a comedy role before. And that's probably another reason he was perfect for the role. Rob Reiner wanted to match the tone of the book, not a slapstick full out comedy but a tongue in cheek humor that rings true while living in a fairy tale world. There's so much that Elwes remembers about the time filming the movie, things people like me are so delighted to hear. I almost feel that the reader's love for this book will be equal to their love for the movie. If you LOVE the movie and can't seem to know enough about it (like me), then you will LOVE this book. If you think it's a good movie, you'll think this book is good. And if you hate the movie? Get out.
This was another book on cd for me. There's something magical about having Cary recount these memories to you, including the use of impressions to portray his costars and production team. It doesn't end there though; other members of the team actually recorded their voices for the audio book too. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to any Princess Bride fan.
Half a War - Joe Abercrombie - 362 pages
24) A trilogy (book 3)
Wow. What a way to go out. And yet? It doesn't seem an ending.
Once again, Abercrombie adds to his world by introducing a handful of new characters that he manages to make me care about. The stories not only include their own depth and climax, but add to overall story arch in significant ways. In Half a War we are introduced to Princess Skara (quickly promoted to Queen Skara) and her new and growing court which includes a sprinkle of pirates, spies, and rejects. Skara herself is underestimated frequently, but she knows that half of a war is fought with swords while the other half is fought with words. There's your teaser for those who haven't read this series.
For those who have, I have a question. They're guns, right? Seriously, they have to be, right?? Does that make me an elf? So many questions... But really, if they are guns as I suspect, it really makes you think about how technology can be such a devastating thing. Just think of the atom bomb. It also makes you think about who the bad guys are in this series. Father Yarvi is hell bent on his promise, that's what this is all about, revenge. But what was the cost of that revenge? Without Skara's intervention, Yarvi would become the new dictator of a land where violence begets violence without any skill or planning. Lots of thoughts.
Last thought though, the fake climax was rather anticlimactic, no? There was no way the other side could even stand a chance (see previous paragraph).
This was a good fantasy series, the supernatural elements have almost no presence in the first two books and appearing only in the last to be... not what you would expect. So it's different, but enjoyable for those interested in swordplay and voyages with a very human element.
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - 264 pages
9) A mystery or thriller
Why didn't I read this book in High School when I was supposed to? Because stubborn teenaged Jamie was dumb and didn't read class assignments fifty percent of the time.
What happens when ten strangers are invited to a mysterious island and begin to be killed off one by one after the fashion of a nursery rhyme? Suspense and paranoia.
This book scared me more than the book I read for this reading challenge that was supposed to be scary. Agatha Christie is the QUEEN of suspense. I sparknoted (which is now a verb) this book years ago and I STILL didn't see the end coming.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially the High School students who are supposed to be reading it. It's a fast read made even faster by the speed with which you'll be turning the pages.
43/50 Books Read
Read on,
Jamie
37) A non-fiction book
This year seems to be the year of The Princess Bride. I finally read the book earlier this year, then I had a Princess Bride birthday, THEN this book came into my life.
Cary Elwes was cast as Westley in The Princess Bride at age 24 having never done a comedy role before. And that's probably another reason he was perfect for the role. Rob Reiner wanted to match the tone of the book, not a slapstick full out comedy but a tongue in cheek humor that rings true while living in a fairy tale world. There's so much that Elwes remembers about the time filming the movie, things people like me are so delighted to hear. I almost feel that the reader's love for this book will be equal to their love for the movie. If you LOVE the movie and can't seem to know enough about it (like me), then you will LOVE this book. If you think it's a good movie, you'll think this book is good. And if you hate the movie? Get out.
This was another book on cd for me. There's something magical about having Cary recount these memories to you, including the use of impressions to portray his costars and production team. It doesn't end there though; other members of the team actually recorded their voices for the audio book too. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it to any Princess Bride fan.
Half a War - Joe Abercrombie - 362 pages
24) A trilogy (book 3)
Wow. What a way to go out. And yet? It doesn't seem an ending.
Once again, Abercrombie adds to his world by introducing a handful of new characters that he manages to make me care about. The stories not only include their own depth and climax, but add to overall story arch in significant ways. In Half a War we are introduced to Princess Skara (quickly promoted to Queen Skara) and her new and growing court which includes a sprinkle of pirates, spies, and rejects. Skara herself is underestimated frequently, but she knows that half of a war is fought with swords while the other half is fought with words. There's your teaser for those who haven't read this series.
For those who have, I have a question. They're guns, right? Seriously, they have to be, right?? Does that make me an elf? So many questions... But really, if they are guns as I suspect, it really makes you think about how technology can be such a devastating thing. Just think of the atom bomb. It also makes you think about who the bad guys are in this series. Father Yarvi is hell bent on his promise, that's what this is all about, revenge. But what was the cost of that revenge? Without Skara's intervention, Yarvi would become the new dictator of a land where violence begets violence without any skill or planning. Lots of thoughts.
Last thought though, the fake climax was rather anticlimactic, no? There was no way the other side could even stand a chance (see previous paragraph).
This was a good fantasy series, the supernatural elements have almost no presence in the first two books and appearing only in the last to be... not what you would expect. So it's different, but enjoyable for those interested in swordplay and voyages with a very human element.
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - 264 pages
9) A mystery or thriller
Why didn't I read this book in High School when I was supposed to? Because stubborn teenaged Jamie was dumb and didn't read class assignments fifty percent of the time.
What happens when ten strangers are invited to a mysterious island and begin to be killed off one by one after the fashion of a nursery rhyme? Suspense and paranoia.
This book scared me more than the book I read for this reading challenge that was supposed to be scary. Agatha Christie is the QUEEN of suspense. I sparknoted (which is now a verb) this book years ago and I STILL didn't see the end coming.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Especially the High School students who are supposed to be reading it. It's a fast read made even faster by the speed with which you'll be turning the pages.
43/50 Books Read
Read on,
Jamie
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Bossypants, Vault of Walt, & Lockdown
Bossypants - Tina Fey - 275 pages
43) A biography
Biography, memoirs, thoughts on life in general collected from living through varied experiences, you can take your pick. For me, the pick was pretty simple when it came to choosing a biography. I've wanted to read this book since it came out but never got around to it. I actually decided I'd like to listen to the audiobook for a couple reasons including it being the only copy at my library... The big one was that Tina actually gets to read the book to you, which feels much less like a book and more like she's giving me life advice over a phone call while sharing funny stories about her childhood, career, and parenting style. It's so perfect to hear her deliver those jokes instead of trying to read it, I know a few would have gone over my head. The only down side was the lack of pictures (since you can't download and look at a .pdf on your laptop while you're driving).
I say this in the most loving way, it's scatterbrained. All the stories are great, but what one has to do with the next... I guess you'd have to look to the name of the book to link them all together in any kind of attempt at cohesion. Honestly though, if you love Tina than this is the (audio)book for you. I confess I've not seen more than four episodes of 30 Rock, but I didn't feel like I was left out of anything in the book. So if your knowledge of Tina Fey is passing ("Didn't she portray Sarah Palin on SNL?" "Yes.") you will get a kick out of this book. Recommended for older fans of Tina, there's some strong language included.
The Revised Vault of Walt - Jim Korkis - 282 pages
32) A book you own but have never read
The subject of the day is: Disney
A helpful guide to cast member abbreviations and lingo:
Cast Member - An employee of the Walt Disney Company
The Mouse - Mickey Mouse
D.U. - Disney University, orientation building in Florida
WDW - Walt Disney World
My good friend sent me this book last year for Christmas and I was so excited to read it, but at the time I was actually working for The Mouse and therefore, had ZERO time to read. Thank this reading challenge for forcing me to dig through the pile of things I brought home from WDW and find this book. It's a collection of stories about Walt Disney. The things he did in his free time, his favorite foods, the changes he made to his films as we know them today, his original plans for Disneyland, it's all here in this book. It was fascinating for me to learn more about Walt, not the typical things you learn at D.U., but the stories Korkis searched for and found that otherwise may have faded away in time. I think this book is a really great read and recommend it if you like Disney; I certainly learned a lot about Walt and the old animation studio.
Lockdown - Alexander Gordon Smith - 290 pages
17) A book that scares you
At least... I think I was scared for a second or two...
The reason this probably didn't scare me very much is that it was all so unrealistic. I couldn't fully buy into this world where children were framed for murder and given a life sentence in an underground prison where they can do anything they want to you and no one cares. With dogs who have see through skin. I don't know. Even when I read it late at night and turned out the lights, my imagination never created a monster coming to kill me.
I'm also aware that I'm nitpicking. This is the kind of book my brother probably would have read in junior high (he hasn't read more than six books in his life). It's in it's right niche where it is. So why did Goodreads think I would love it? I have no clue. Horror in all forms is not my cup of tea (except The Walking Dead, I don't know why) I HATE being scared, that's why I choose a young adult book instead of, say, a Stephen King book. Sure, I'll be a little scared for the sake of this book challenge, but not terrified. I think I got grossed out more than scared, I mean seriously, how many times do the character's have to puke? Nitpicking. Anyway, if you know a young boy who doesn't like to read, maybe look into this one. Of course, if you think it sounds interesting, be prepared for a whole lot of nothing to happen through this book and leave you on a cliffhanger. Let me know if the second one is better.
Read on,
Jamie
43) A biography
Biography, memoirs, thoughts on life in general collected from living through varied experiences, you can take your pick. For me, the pick was pretty simple when it came to choosing a biography. I've wanted to read this book since it came out but never got around to it. I actually decided I'd like to listen to the audiobook for a couple reasons including it being the only copy at my library... The big one was that Tina actually gets to read the book to you, which feels much less like a book and more like she's giving me life advice over a phone call while sharing funny stories about her childhood, career, and parenting style. It's so perfect to hear her deliver those jokes instead of trying to read it, I know a few would have gone over my head. The only down side was the lack of pictures (since you can't download and look at a .pdf on your laptop while you're driving).
I say this in the most loving way, it's scatterbrained. All the stories are great, but what one has to do with the next... I guess you'd have to look to the name of the book to link them all together in any kind of attempt at cohesion. Honestly though, if you love Tina than this is the (audio)book for you. I confess I've not seen more than four episodes of 30 Rock, but I didn't feel like I was left out of anything in the book. So if your knowledge of Tina Fey is passing ("Didn't she portray Sarah Palin on SNL?" "Yes.") you will get a kick out of this book. Recommended for older fans of Tina, there's some strong language included.
The Revised Vault of Walt - Jim Korkis - 282 pages
32) A book you own but have never read
The subject of the day is: Disney
A helpful guide to cast member abbreviations and lingo:
Cast Member - An employee of the Walt Disney Company
The Mouse - Mickey Mouse
D.U. - Disney University, orientation building in Florida
WDW - Walt Disney World
My good friend sent me this book last year for Christmas and I was so excited to read it, but at the time I was actually working for The Mouse and therefore, had ZERO time to read. Thank this reading challenge for forcing me to dig through the pile of things I brought home from WDW and find this book. It's a collection of stories about Walt Disney. The things he did in his free time, his favorite foods, the changes he made to his films as we know them today, his original plans for Disneyland, it's all here in this book. It was fascinating for me to learn more about Walt, not the typical things you learn at D.U., but the stories Korkis searched for and found that otherwise may have faded away in time. I think this book is a really great read and recommend it if you like Disney; I certainly learned a lot about Walt and the old animation studio.
Lockdown - Alexander Gordon Smith - 290 pages
17) A book that scares you
At least... I think I was scared for a second or two...
The reason this probably didn't scare me very much is that it was all so unrealistic. I couldn't fully buy into this world where children were framed for murder and given a life sentence in an underground prison where they can do anything they want to you and no one cares. With dogs who have see through skin. I don't know. Even when I read it late at night and turned out the lights, my imagination never created a monster coming to kill me.
I'm also aware that I'm nitpicking. This is the kind of book my brother probably would have read in junior high (he hasn't read more than six books in his life). It's in it's right niche where it is. So why did Goodreads think I would love it? I have no clue. Horror in all forms is not my cup of tea (except The Walking Dead, I don't know why) I HATE being scared, that's why I choose a young adult book instead of, say, a Stephen King book. Sure, I'll be a little scared for the sake of this book challenge, but not terrified. I think I got grossed out more than scared, I mean seriously, how many times do the character's have to puke? Nitpicking. Anyway, if you know a young boy who doesn't like to read, maybe look into this one. Of course, if you think it sounds interesting, be prepared for a whole lot of nothing to happen through this book and leave you on a cliffhanger. Let me know if the second one is better.
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Me Before You, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, & The Heart of Betrayal
That's quite a long title for a blog post.
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes - 369 pgs
35) A book you started but never finished
No, I didn't put this book down because I wasn't enjoying it. I actually had to return it to the library before I moved out of the state. To be fair, I didn't get very far, only four or five chapters, but I was certainly captivated by the writing style and happy to pick it back up.
If you haven't heard about Me Before You, it's about a young lady named Lou who hasn't done too much with her life besides work at the same cafe job for years and now has to find new employment since the cafe is boing bought out. She lands a job caring for a quadriplegic named Will. Lou has no experience with medical field anything and is rightfully shocked to receive an offer of employment right off the bat. She finds out it's more like, she lands a job from Will's mother to care for him emotionally. To make him happy again. It's a big job, easier said than done.
This book is a romance. Flat out, I wouldn't label it any other way. It's obviously not your typical romance story (although, I'm not exactly sure what that would be) but it will cut you to the core and really make you think about what you would do for the person you love even if it hurts you.
It's a down to earth story with realistic characters who make you want to hug them (or slap them) and it's easy to put yourself in Lou's shoes as she gets to know Will. It's not a frolic through the flowers and at times it's heartbreaking, but it's worth it.
Moyes released a sequel this year that I'm very interested in picking up. If you like a story that will make you laugh, cry, and open your eyes to the world, pick up Me Before You.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford - 290 pgs
21) A book with antonyms in the title
Ha. It's not War and Peace.
This is a good book. Not great, but it's good.
It can get tedious and long winded, but it's a good book.
That being said, I didn't really enjoy it that much. It took me a long time to get into this short book. I'm not saying stuff didn't happen, it's just that the SAME stuff kept happening and I found it to be a bit more bitter than sweet. (Yeah, I went there)
This book switches back and forth between the 1980s and the 1940s, telling the story of Henry and how he met a girl named Keiko when they were very young as well as the events that separated them for 40 years. It's a Romeo and Juliet story of sorts set during the second world war. Henry is Chinese and Keiko is Japanese. But really, they're both American.
It's truly sad to see what happened here in the states during WWII. We like to point to the atrocities that happened in Europe, and while I'm not suggesting the USA was near as horrific as Germany, it's easy to forget that our hands weren't exactly squeaky clean either.
This was a good book. I can't think of a reason I couldn't fully invest in the story other than it felt repetitive and I don't think I got enough time to bond with some of the characters in the 1940s and that left me a bit apathetic to the 12 year old puppy love.
The Heart of Betrayal - Mary E. Pearson - 470 pgs
49) Readers Choice
It was not my intention to read this book this year. When I read the first book in the series earlier this year I said it would be on the bottom of my 50 book to-read list. It was more opportunity than desire that led me to picking it up, but as I read these two previous books above, I began to feel something I hadn't in a long time. I needed a cheesy fantasy. Nothing life changing or hard to comprehend, nothing with a deeper meaning or a important moral, just a light reading book that could hold the attention of a teen with ADHD (which, I suppose, is how I felt). The book came to my library and I just snatched it up. I already knew the characters, I already had the base story down, so this is essentially exactly what I was looking for.
It isn't a deep book. It's very predictable YA fantasy. The stakes are life and death (yet I still feel this book could have been 200 pages shorter and been better for it). The love interest is as interesting as a lamp post (and could have completely been taken out of the book without changing the story). It's not going to make you have deep thoughts of any sort. But. If this is the kind of thing that floats your boat, it was pretty good. I liked it more than the first one, the story is building (VERY slowly) to mean something.
I know I change my mind a lot. I also know that my reading tastes have changed a sizable amount in the last year alone. Thank you for bearing with me even though in this blog alone I have contradicted myself no less than three times. This book might have once been everything I loved in a book. So if you're in Jr. High or High School or any age and you like fantasy/action YA novels, this series might just be for you.
Read on,
Jamie
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes - 369 pgs
35) A book you started but never finished
No, I didn't put this book down because I wasn't enjoying it. I actually had to return it to the library before I moved out of the state. To be fair, I didn't get very far, only four or five chapters, but I was certainly captivated by the writing style and happy to pick it back up.
If you haven't heard about Me Before You, it's about a young lady named Lou who hasn't done too much with her life besides work at the same cafe job for years and now has to find new employment since the cafe is boing bought out. She lands a job caring for a quadriplegic named Will. Lou has no experience with medical field anything and is rightfully shocked to receive an offer of employment right off the bat. She finds out it's more like, she lands a job from Will's mother to care for him emotionally. To make him happy again. It's a big job, easier said than done.
This book is a romance. Flat out, I wouldn't label it any other way. It's obviously not your typical romance story (although, I'm not exactly sure what that would be) but it will cut you to the core and really make you think about what you would do for the person you love even if it hurts you.
It's a down to earth story with realistic characters who make you want to hug them (or slap them) and it's easy to put yourself in Lou's shoes as she gets to know Will. It's not a frolic through the flowers and at times it's heartbreaking, but it's worth it.
Moyes released a sequel this year that I'm very interested in picking up. If you like a story that will make you laugh, cry, and open your eyes to the world, pick up Me Before You.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford - 290 pgs
21) A book with antonyms in the title
Ha. It's not War and Peace.
This is a good book. Not great, but it's good.
It can get tedious and long winded, but it's a good book.
That being said, I didn't really enjoy it that much. It took me a long time to get into this short book. I'm not saying stuff didn't happen, it's just that the SAME stuff kept happening and I found it to be a bit more bitter than sweet. (Yeah, I went there)
This book switches back and forth between the 1980s and the 1940s, telling the story of Henry and how he met a girl named Keiko when they were very young as well as the events that separated them for 40 years. It's a Romeo and Juliet story of sorts set during the second world war. Henry is Chinese and Keiko is Japanese. But really, they're both American.
It's truly sad to see what happened here in the states during WWII. We like to point to the atrocities that happened in Europe, and while I'm not suggesting the USA was near as horrific as Germany, it's easy to forget that our hands weren't exactly squeaky clean either.
This was a good book. I can't think of a reason I couldn't fully invest in the story other than it felt repetitive and I don't think I got enough time to bond with some of the characters in the 1940s and that left me a bit apathetic to the 12 year old puppy love.
The Heart of Betrayal - Mary E. Pearson - 470 pgs
49) Readers Choice
It was not my intention to read this book this year. When I read the first book in the series earlier this year I said it would be on the bottom of my 50 book to-read list. It was more opportunity than desire that led me to picking it up, but as I read these two previous books above, I began to feel something I hadn't in a long time. I needed a cheesy fantasy. Nothing life changing or hard to comprehend, nothing with a deeper meaning or a important moral, just a light reading book that could hold the attention of a teen with ADHD (which, I suppose, is how I felt). The book came to my library and I just snatched it up. I already knew the characters, I already had the base story down, so this is essentially exactly what I was looking for.
It isn't a deep book. It's very predictable YA fantasy. The stakes are life and death (yet I still feel this book could have been 200 pages shorter and been better for it). The love interest is as interesting as a lamp post (and could have completely been taken out of the book without changing the story). It's not going to make you have deep thoughts of any sort. But. If this is the kind of thing that floats your boat, it was pretty good. I liked it more than the first one, the story is building (VERY slowly) to mean something.
I know I change my mind a lot. I also know that my reading tastes have changed a sizable amount in the last year alone. Thank you for bearing with me even though in this blog alone I have contradicted myself no less than three times. This book might have once been everything I loved in a book. So if you're in Jr. High or High School or any age and you like fantasy/action YA novels, this series might just be for you.
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The Hobbit, A Pleasure to Burn, & The Chamber of Secrets
The Hobbit (There and Back Again) - J.R.R. Tolkien - 366 Pages
34) A banned book
I don't know why I had never read The Hobbit before.
It's one of my best friends favorite books and I remember seeing the first movie at midnight with her. I've heard many a complaint about how this short book became three long movies, but I'm not not going to get into that, because-
I also don't know why people are so scared of fantasy novels.
I very clearly remember as a seven year old telling my Grandmother about how I was reading Harry Potter and her first reaction was "Isn't that about witchcraft and the devil?!" (She loves Harry Potter now that she knows what it's actually about). If parents actually READ this book (which is meant for kids) they would see that it isn't teaching your children to worship satan. They may even realize what Tolkien was actually trying to teach kids. Things like, you may be small and people may not think you're capable of much, but you can do hard even impossible things and succeed. Or, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
There are so many important lessons in this story, and it's a good read no matter your age. I think this would be a great book to read out loud to children, with the right amount of action and thoughtfulness, dialogue and description, this little story is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy even a little and I'm quite sad I didn't get to read it when I was a kid. Maybe it was banned from my elementary school...
The idea of banned books has always intrigued me, which inevitably led me to my next read.
A Pleasure to Burn - Ray Bradbury - 400 Pages
44) A book of short stories
*raises hand* I admit I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I've never even really known exactly what it's about, I'd always gotten it confused with 1984. It wasn't until I was looking for a short story book that I really found out. It's about book burning books and censorship. A Pleasure to Burn caught my eye on Goodreads because I read Dandelion Wine (also by Bradbury) in school and LOVED it. I just love Bradbury's writing style, and the premise intrigued me (and the cover is as awesome as the title) so I picked it up the very next day at the library.
This particular book of short stories was published in 2010, but some of the stories date back to before Fahrenheit 451 as early forms of and ideas for the book. So each story is thematically connected to the world of Fahrenheit 451 where censorship and burning run wild in the future world.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The first story was a bit confusing, but by the second I was zoned in. The writing is really what did it for me as well as the subject being close to my heart. I want to share just a couple of the many bookmarks I made in this book.
"I had seen thousands careen into my library starved and leave well-fed. I had watched lost people find themselves. I had known realists to dream and dreamers to come awake in this marble sanctuary where silence was a marker in each book. Then, better focused, their ideas rehung upon their frames, their flesh made easy on their bones, men might walk forth into the blast-furnace of reality, noon, mob-traffic, improbable senescence, inescapable death." (Bright Phoenix, pg 81)
"Garrett," said Stendahl. "Do you know why I've done this to you? Because you burned Mr. Poe's books without really reading them. You took other people's advice that they needed burning. Otherwise you'd have realized what I was going to do to you when we came down here a moment ago. Ignorance is fatal, Mr. Garrett." (Carnival of Madness, pg 128 (This was my favorite story))
"They were never together. There was always something between, a radio, a televisor, a car, a plane, a game, nervous exhaustion, or, simply, a little pheno-barbitol. They didn't know each other; they knew things, inventions. They had both applauded science while it had built a beautiful glass structure, a glittering miracle of contraptions about them, and, too late, they had found it to be a glass wall." (The Fireman, pg 270)
"The little man wants you and me to be like him. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot out of the weapon. Un-breach men's minds. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?" (The Fireman, pg 287)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling - 352 Pages
42) Your old favorite book
After reading it again, I think it may STILL be my favorite book.
I haven't read Chamber of Secrets in years. Every time I re-read a Harry Potter book it was always Deathly Hallows or Prisoner of Azkaban. I forgot how much I truly loved Chamber of Secrets. Despite being short, Rowling really packs in the action in this book. The climax in the chamber is one of the best and the humor throughout is on point. I couldn't be happier with my choice to re-read Chamber as my old favorite. (PS if you haven't read these books, get out and read them now.)
Read on,
Jamie
34) A banned book
I don't know why I had never read The Hobbit before.
It's one of my best friends favorite books and I remember seeing the first movie at midnight with her. I've heard many a complaint about how this short book became three long movies, but I'm not not going to get into that, because-
I also don't know why people are so scared of fantasy novels.
I very clearly remember as a seven year old telling my Grandmother about how I was reading Harry Potter and her first reaction was "Isn't that about witchcraft and the devil?!" (She loves Harry Potter now that she knows what it's actually about). If parents actually READ this book (which is meant for kids) they would see that it isn't teaching your children to worship satan. They may even realize what Tolkien was actually trying to teach kids. Things like, you may be small and people may not think you're capable of much, but you can do hard even impossible things and succeed. Or, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
There are so many important lessons in this story, and it's a good read no matter your age. I think this would be a great book to read out loud to children, with the right amount of action and thoughtfulness, dialogue and description, this little story is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy even a little and I'm quite sad I didn't get to read it when I was a kid. Maybe it was banned from my elementary school...
The idea of banned books has always intrigued me, which inevitably led me to my next read.
A Pleasure to Burn - Ray Bradbury - 400 Pages
44) A book of short stories
*raises hand* I admit I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I've never even really known exactly what it's about, I'd always gotten it confused with 1984. It wasn't until I was looking for a short story book that I really found out. It's about book burning books and censorship. A Pleasure to Burn caught my eye on Goodreads because I read Dandelion Wine (also by Bradbury) in school and LOVED it. I just love Bradbury's writing style, and the premise intrigued me (and the cover is as awesome as the title) so I picked it up the very next day at the library.
This particular book of short stories was published in 2010, but some of the stories date back to before Fahrenheit 451 as early forms of and ideas for the book. So each story is thematically connected to the world of Fahrenheit 451 where censorship and burning run wild in the future world.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The first story was a bit confusing, but by the second I was zoned in. The writing is really what did it for me as well as the subject being close to my heart. I want to share just a couple of the many bookmarks I made in this book.
"I had seen thousands careen into my library starved and leave well-fed. I had watched lost people find themselves. I had known realists to dream and dreamers to come awake in this marble sanctuary where silence was a marker in each book. Then, better focused, their ideas rehung upon their frames, their flesh made easy on their bones, men might walk forth into the blast-furnace of reality, noon, mob-traffic, improbable senescence, inescapable death." (Bright Phoenix, pg 81)
"Garrett," said Stendahl. "Do you know why I've done this to you? Because you burned Mr. Poe's books without really reading them. You took other people's advice that they needed burning. Otherwise you'd have realized what I was going to do to you when we came down here a moment ago. Ignorance is fatal, Mr. Garrett." (Carnival of Madness, pg 128 (This was my favorite story))
"They were never together. There was always something between, a radio, a televisor, a car, a plane, a game, nervous exhaustion, or, simply, a little pheno-barbitol. They didn't know each other; they knew things, inventions. They had both applauded science while it had built a beautiful glass structure, a glittering miracle of contraptions about them, and, too late, they had found it to be a glass wall." (The Fireman, pg 270)
"The little man wants you and me to be like him. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot out of the weapon. Un-breach men's minds. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?" (The Fireman, pg 287)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling - 352 Pages
42) Your old favorite book
After reading it again, I think it may STILL be my favorite book.
I haven't read Chamber of Secrets in years. Every time I re-read a Harry Potter book it was always Deathly Hallows or Prisoner of Azkaban. I forgot how much I truly loved Chamber of Secrets. Despite being short, Rowling really packs in the action in this book. The climax in the chamber is one of the best and the humor throughout is on point. I couldn't be happier with my choice to re-read Chamber as my old favorite. (PS if you haven't read these books, get out and read them now.)
Read on,
Jamie
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Briar Rose, Sense and Sensibility, & Austenland
Part 2 of the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
Because I read these books in midsummer and forgot to blog them.
Briar Rose - Jane Yolen - 241 pages
31) Author you've never read before
Yolen has an impressive resume that ranges from children's picture books to adult novels with awards all over the place. It's not impossible that I'd never read her books, but it was a little surprising. She's a Goodreads author so I browsed her profile and get the sense that she is a darling lady. I could've sworn Jane Yolen is an alias for one of my favorite college professors. Anyway. Yolen was recommended to me so when I found out she wrote a historical fiction WWII book called Briar Rose I immediately went to the library and picked it up.
Thing you know: I love WWII Historical Fiction
Thing you may not know: I LOVE Sleeping Beauty
The book is about a young lady who goes on a trip to find out more about her grandmother's life who's last words to her are "I am Briar Rose". It's about the holocaust and it's not exactly cheery, but it'll break your heart and then put it back together a little bit stronger than before. It's a young adult book, but there are very heavy themes (as you would expect from a book about the holocaust) not recommended to early teens.
I love the idea of this book, but I think the way the story unfolded could have been better. I expected our protagonist to go on a journey that slowly unfolded her grandmother's secrets, but it was more like I was reading two different books. One about a girl on a personal journey and another about a man suffering during the holocaust. The story of Sleeping Beauty is cleverly wound into this woman's life and that is what ultimately kept me intrigued. Sadly, that information is saved for the last part of the book instead of a growing theme throughout. Great idea. Okay execution. Good book.
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Marvel Adaptions - 128 Pages
30) A graphic novel
Nobody said what kind of graphic novel.
I used to read a little manga, the right to left authentic stuff. I just couldn't make myself choose one. I looked at manga, I looked at comic books, I looked at all sorts. I must have been standing in the graphic novel section of the library for half an hour. THEN. I saw Sense and Sensibility, grabbed it, and checked out. I made it my mission a year ago to read as many versions of Sense and Sensibility as I could find, all of them just fell short of the perfection of Austen's original. So when I saw the graphic novel, I had high hopes because it was the original story but found myself apprehensive. How do you make a comic book out of such a dialogue heavy book? Marvel did a great job of balancing the dialogue we needed and the lovely illustration. It was a fun read, and another version of SaS to add to my list.
Austenland - Shannon Hale - 202 Pages
7) A funny book
This book tho.
I saw the movie first, that's what put it into my mind that the book would be funny. It's funnier, because it's more realistic. The film is similar is style to Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which are two of my favorites, so you can imagine the humor.
It's about a young woman named Jane who's OBSESSED with the idea of Mr. Darcy. Her romantic relationships have been failures and she turns to Austen's novels (and the movie adaptions) to make up for her sad love life. But when Jane takes a trip to Austenland, an immersive regency era themed experience in England she begins to wonder if Mr. Darcy is what she actually wants.
The book is very similar to the movie in plot. I laughed out loud many times, and as cheesy as it could feel at times, it also hit very honest chords with me. (I mean, I just professed my love for Sense and Sensibility...)
This read is a good time, it may not change your life, but it's worth the time. If you liked the movie, I think you should read the book as well. If you've read the book, see the movie, it's some of the most perfect casting I've ever seen.
Read on,
Jamie
Because I read these books in midsummer and forgot to blog them.
Briar Rose - Jane Yolen - 241 pages
31) Author you've never read before
Yolen has an impressive resume that ranges from children's picture books to adult novels with awards all over the place. It's not impossible that I'd never read her books, but it was a little surprising. She's a Goodreads author so I browsed her profile and get the sense that she is a darling lady. I could've sworn Jane Yolen is an alias for one of my favorite college professors. Anyway. Yolen was recommended to me so when I found out she wrote a historical fiction WWII book called Briar Rose I immediately went to the library and picked it up.
Thing you know: I love WWII Historical Fiction
Thing you may not know: I LOVE Sleeping Beauty
The book is about a young lady who goes on a trip to find out more about her grandmother's life who's last words to her are "I am Briar Rose". It's about the holocaust and it's not exactly cheery, but it'll break your heart and then put it back together a little bit stronger than before. It's a young adult book, but there are very heavy themes (as you would expect from a book about the holocaust) not recommended to early teens.
I love the idea of this book, but I think the way the story unfolded could have been better. I expected our protagonist to go on a journey that slowly unfolded her grandmother's secrets, but it was more like I was reading two different books. One about a girl on a personal journey and another about a man suffering during the holocaust. The story of Sleeping Beauty is cleverly wound into this woman's life and that is what ultimately kept me intrigued. Sadly, that information is saved for the last part of the book instead of a growing theme throughout. Great idea. Okay execution. Good book.
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen Marvel Adaptions - 128 Pages
30) A graphic novel
Nobody said what kind of graphic novel.
I used to read a little manga, the right to left authentic stuff. I just couldn't make myself choose one. I looked at manga, I looked at comic books, I looked at all sorts. I must have been standing in the graphic novel section of the library for half an hour. THEN. I saw Sense and Sensibility, grabbed it, and checked out. I made it my mission a year ago to read as many versions of Sense and Sensibility as I could find, all of them just fell short of the perfection of Austen's original. So when I saw the graphic novel, I had high hopes because it was the original story but found myself apprehensive. How do you make a comic book out of such a dialogue heavy book? Marvel did a great job of balancing the dialogue we needed and the lovely illustration. It was a fun read, and another version of SaS to add to my list.
Austenland - Shannon Hale - 202 Pages
7) A funny book
This book tho.
I saw the movie first, that's what put it into my mind that the book would be funny. It's funnier, because it's more realistic. The film is similar is style to Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, which are two of my favorites, so you can imagine the humor.
It's about a young woman named Jane who's OBSESSED with the idea of Mr. Darcy. Her romantic relationships have been failures and she turns to Austen's novels (and the movie adaptions) to make up for her sad love life. But when Jane takes a trip to Austenland, an immersive regency era themed experience in England she begins to wonder if Mr. Darcy is what she actually wants.
The book is very similar to the movie in plot. I laughed out loud many times, and as cheesy as it could feel at times, it also hit very honest chords with me. (I mean, I just professed my love for Sense and Sensibility...)
This read is a good time, it may not change your life, but it's worth the time. If you liked the movie, I think you should read the book as well. If you've read the book, see the movie, it's some of the most perfect casting I've ever seen.
Read on,
Jamie
Hero of Ages, Stardust, & King Charles III
Hey.
How's it going?
How was summer?
Good, good...
Yeah, I forgot to keep up with the blogging.
And the reading to be honest.
I went from one book ahead of schedule to two behind. Whoops.
BUT.
Now I have six books to blog!
So here is part one of two in the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
(I know, fancy name, right?)
Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson - 572 Pages
48) Reader's Choice
Book three in the Mistborn series absolutely had to be read but didn't fit any of the specific categories so it's my first reader's choice. I'm glad I read it. I like to finish stories. It's not at all what I expected though, and that's not a bad thing. I like how I couldn't predict what was going to happen next in this series, it made it more intriguing to me. I picked up the first book on a friend recommendation, so if not for him I'd have never read these books since the premise sounded to cheesy to me. I think the first book was the best (that surprised me), but they are all high in character development and action and Sanderson has my respect. I may just pick up the rest of his books.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman - 250 Pages
3) A book that became a movie
Stardust was an enchanting book. It's about a young man named Tristan who vows to bring back a fallen star to the girl he "loves". To his surprise, once he crosses the wall into the magic lands everything is different. Even a fallen star is changed from a rock into a woman. The short book is a whimsical adventure full of magic and danger, witches and princes, love and revenge. It's enough to hold even the lightest of readers' attention.
The movie, released in 2007, is very similar. Certain scenes are straight out of the book while a few were added to make the movie more dramatic. All in all, I think I may like the movie better. Don't get me wrong, I really loved this book. The reason the movie is so great is because it stays true to the whimsical feeling of the book while building up to a greater climax and making the characters more endearing. I'd recommend this book to those who loved the movie, and I'd recommend the movie to everyone.
King Charles III - Mike Bartlett - 120 Pages
33) A play
Boy, oh boy. This play is sheer genius. I got to see this play during it's opening run in London. I can still feel the chills I got when the stage went dark and Lordes Royals played in the theatre.
Think about a Shakespeare history play. Now think about what it would be like if Shakespeare wrote a history play about the FUTRUE. Yeah. Mind blown.
Mike Bartlett wrote a history play about King Charles III. As in, the current Prince Charles, son of the Queen. The whole family is there. William and Kate with George, Harry, a certain Ghost. Not only that, oh no. Bartlett wrote it in iambic pentameter.
It deals with the death of the Queen and the subsequent rising of the Prince to the King. When the newly appointed King Charles refuses to sign a bill into law it raises the question, what power does the monarchy hold now-a-days? Does the monarchy mean anything? Should those not elected to power be able to rule over those who were elected?
Bartlett really makes you think. Even if you are a citizen of different country with no thoughts or opinions about such things. You're about to have opinions.
Part 2 coming soon!
Read on,
Jamie
How's it going?
How was summer?
Good, good...
Yeah, I forgot to keep up with the blogging.
And the reading to be honest.
I went from one book ahead of schedule to two behind. Whoops.
BUT.
Now I have six books to blog!
So here is part one of two in the Midsummer Book Blog Binge.
(I know, fancy name, right?)
Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson - 572 Pages
48) Reader's Choice
Book three in the Mistborn series absolutely had to be read but didn't fit any of the specific categories so it's my first reader's choice. I'm glad I read it. I like to finish stories. It's not at all what I expected though, and that's not a bad thing. I like how I couldn't predict what was going to happen next in this series, it made it more intriguing to me. I picked up the first book on a friend recommendation, so if not for him I'd have never read these books since the premise sounded to cheesy to me. I think the first book was the best (that surprised me), but they are all high in character development and action and Sanderson has my respect. I may just pick up the rest of his books.
Stardust - Neil Gaiman - 250 Pages
3) A book that became a movie
Stardust was an enchanting book. It's about a young man named Tristan who vows to bring back a fallen star to the girl he "loves". To his surprise, once he crosses the wall into the magic lands everything is different. Even a fallen star is changed from a rock into a woman. The short book is a whimsical adventure full of magic and danger, witches and princes, love and revenge. It's enough to hold even the lightest of readers' attention.
The movie, released in 2007, is very similar. Certain scenes are straight out of the book while a few were added to make the movie more dramatic. All in all, I think I may like the movie better. Don't get me wrong, I really loved this book. The reason the movie is so great is because it stays true to the whimsical feeling of the book while building up to a greater climax and making the characters more endearing. I'd recommend this book to those who loved the movie, and I'd recommend the movie to everyone.
King Charles III - Mike Bartlett - 120 Pages
33) A play
Boy, oh boy. This play is sheer genius. I got to see this play during it's opening run in London. I can still feel the chills I got when the stage went dark and Lordes Royals played in the theatre.
Think about a Shakespeare history play. Now think about what it would be like if Shakespeare wrote a history play about the FUTRUE. Yeah. Mind blown.
Mike Bartlett wrote a history play about King Charles III. As in, the current Prince Charles, son of the Queen. The whole family is there. William and Kate with George, Harry, a certain Ghost. Not only that, oh no. Bartlett wrote it in iambic pentameter.
It deals with the death of the Queen and the subsequent rising of the Prince to the King. When the newly appointed King Charles refuses to sign a bill into law it raises the question, what power does the monarchy hold now-a-days? Does the monarchy mean anything? Should those not elected to power be able to rule over those who were elected?
Bartlett really makes you think. Even if you are a citizen of different country with no thoughts or opinions about such things. You're about to have opinions.
Part 2 coming soon!
Read on,
Jamie
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
The Princess Bride, An Ember in the Ashes, & A Court of Thorns and Roses
HALF WAY THERE!
Today being July 1st, we are half way through the year and I am now half way through my 50 books! It's nice to know I'm right on track.
The Princess Bride - William Goldman - 398 Pages
2) A classic romance
I know every cultured creature on God's green earth has seen The Princess Bride movie and loves it, but I must now say that it should be a requirement to also read the book. I almost felt like this book was written for me personally. It truly has it all. Sword fights, chases, death, proclamations of love, revenge, speech impediments, heros, poison, asides, rodents of unusual size, murder plots, miracles, and humor. So much humor. I don't remember the last time I read a book where I laughed out loud so often. You get all the main characters in the movie with more back story and more witty dialogue.
The Princess Bride feels so timeless, I recommend everyone read it.
I myself have been meaning to read this book for years but honestly got confused quite often since all the copies say they are abridged. It is supposedly the "good parts" version of the story abridged by Goldman, he also adds in little bits as witty asides.
This book really is a classic and I pity the fool who chooses not to read it.
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir - 446 Pages
47) A Goodreads suggestion
Goodreads has been trying to get me to read this book since I joined which, I might add, was also months before it was even released. They seem to think I enjoy books with strong female characters, harsh odds, a little fantasy, and awesome action sequences.
Where did they get that impression?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Goodreads is heaven sent.
I'm disappointed in myself for not writing this review before I gave the book back to the library because there were SUCH good quotes I wanted to include and now all I have are page numbers.
This book is pretty brutal. It's not graphic, but there is a lot of violence. These people live in a society that feels spartan, where physical ability and ruthlessness is praised. But it didn't always used to be like that. The land used to be one of learning and art, but those people were subjugated and oppressed by the warriors who now rule the land.
I was hooked from page one. Tahir doesn't give you much time to relax or much time for her characters to be out of danger so it makes those moments all the more special.
This story bounces back and forth between two characters who are in very opposite situations and yet eventually come together.
Honestly, I don't want to give too much away since I think anyone looking for a good, fast paced summer read with action and a little bit of magic should pick this book up.
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas - 416 Pages
13) A book you haven't read yet from an author you love
Hmmm. How do I go about this...
Sarah J. Maas writes an INCREDIBLE action sequence. I love her Throne of Glass series for it's originality and action, she made me care for her characters quickly and deeply which can be hard. So I thought, "This means I love Sarah J. Maas. I've read four of her books and enjoyed them all. I can't wait to read her new series and look forward to having a whole new SJM world to explore."
But.
I didn't.
I didn't fall for these characters. I didn't even CARE about their problems. I didn't like the writing style or the plot devises or the dialogue (especially the dialogue). I didn't like the main character.
I didn't intend on finishing this book.
This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with fairies. Maas has done her research, she knows about fairy lore and had a wonderful opportunity to make it shine. To me, she fell drastically short of expectation. The story is weak and SLOW (so very painfully slow) and if it weren't for my sister and being on vacation with no other book I would have put this book down and never finished it.
The saddest part is that it picks up rather nicely, but far too late for me. I like the villains much better than the heros because they actually DID THINGS. The action sequences were good, but they weren't enough to save this book.
If you're thinking of reading ACoTaR here's a heads-up (that I wish I had), Maas intended this book for the "New Adult" category instead of "Young Adult". For that reason, she's included some pretty graphic romantic scenes. They're easy enough to skip since they in no part impact the story, but I'd recommend you skip this book all together and pick up An Ember in the Ashes if you're looking for a good summer read.
Read on,
Jamie
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
The Winner's Crime, Fairest, & The Well of Ascension
Three books because All The Light We Cannot See NEEDED it's own post. Bonus book for you, yay.
The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski - 402 pgs
16) A book at the bottom of your to-read list
Honestly, I should have kept it there. It was at the bottom of my list because I kind of enjoyed the first one and this one has just been released, but didn't know when I would get to it when I had such a long list of books I wanted to read first.
This book is not long. Sure, it's listed as 402 pages, but the print is large and the pages are small. So why did it take me a MONTH to finish it??? Because I simply couldn't make myself pick it up and continue reading even when I was at work with nothing to do and I was at the climax. Now you see why I didn't want to blog this one with ATLWCS? This book was so painful for me. I hated the characters left to carry the story, I didn't care about their problems or their stupid complaining. The setting for this book has moved to the capital city in the palace since Kestrel is now engaged to the Prince, who is kind despite having a terrible father yet she at best thinks he's unimpressive. She becomes a "spy" (she basically does nothing) against the King who is terribly one sided and hates just about everyone except Kestrel's father. Why does the king even really want her to become Queen? Well, I'm rambling now, but basically Kestrel makes dumb choice after dumb choice. I mean seriously. Kestrel was supposed to be smart, right? Well she's probably the most shallow and unthoughtful character I've read this year. I'm supposed to like her? Yeah...No. If you recall, I chose the first book as my "Book with bad reviews" and was impressed. Winner's Crime has more positive reviews than the first one (Winner's Curse), even the blogger who said she didn't get why the first one was so popular liked the second one. WHAT??? Now I'm the one that doesn't get it.
I don't think I ever will.
Fairest - Marissa Meyer - 220 pgs
4) A book published this year
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles series by Meyer (Cinder, Scarlet, etc.) I address you directly now. Read this book. It's easy to overlook since it's small, it's a prequel, and the line for it at the library is some 400+ people long, but it's worth it.
If you're unfamiliar with the Lunar Chronicles, think all your favorite fairytales set in a science fiction setting. It's innovative and unlike any other retelling of classic fairytales you've read. Fairest was released January 27th 2015 after the first three books of the series, but it takes place before all of them. It tells the tale of the Evil Queen, Levana, and how she came to be the controlling ruler of the moon. It's a slippery slope from oppressed character to villain and we get to see every heartbreaking, shocking choice Levana makes on her way to the throne. She's crazy people. In stories like this, you tend to feel sorry for the character and their choices make sense, but not here. Sure, you understand why she makes her choices, but you never agree with them and you certainly don't want to see her succeed.I love this series and I'm excited for the last book coming out later this year. I would suggest it to all fairytale and sci-fi lovers out there, you could even start with Fairest and go to Cinder from there.
The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson - 590 pgs
40) A book with non-human characters
Can you tell I'm running out of open ended requirements to fit these books in? This could've been my trilogy, but I had already started another one first. Anyway...
Goodness, these books are good. This is the sequel to Mistborn, which I read earlier in the year. Brandon Sanderson has a gift people. He's able to write a bunch of believable characters and keep them all interesting and distinctly individual. I can never smell his plot twists before he reveals them. I wrote that the first book reminded me of the Harry Potter books because they are lengthy and have an overarching storyline that makes everything important and involved in that overarching story. It answers it's questions, even if it takes time to do so. I don't have to worry about a storyline not being completed and that's a blessing.
This sequel deals with the consequences of the first book. They over threw a large and powerful government, there are going to be consequences of that. I feel like I haven't read very many books that have made me realize that fact. I mean, overthrowing and oppressive government is wonderful (Uh-meri-kah) and usually takes the whole series to do anyway, so why worry, right? Wrong. Suddenly their hopes for making Luthadel an equal and thriving city are being destroyed not just by the armies coming to take over, but also the citizens inside who don't believe their freedom is more important than living. This book has it all. Substantial character progression, plot twists, war, death, love, betrayal, exciting new characters, humor. In short, this series continues to be one of the best things I've ever had the pleasure of stumbling across. If you like high fantasy or a good long summer read with memorable characters (like the good old days when Harry Potter was released every summer) I highly recommend this series.
Read on,
Jamie
The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski - 402 pgs
16) A book at the bottom of your to-read list
Honestly, I should have kept it there. It was at the bottom of my list because I kind of enjoyed the first one and this one has just been released, but didn't know when I would get to it when I had such a long list of books I wanted to read first.
This book is not long. Sure, it's listed as 402 pages, but the print is large and the pages are small. So why did it take me a MONTH to finish it??? Because I simply couldn't make myself pick it up and continue reading even when I was at work with nothing to do and I was at the climax. Now you see why I didn't want to blog this one with ATLWCS? This book was so painful for me. I hated the characters left to carry the story, I didn't care about their problems or their stupid complaining. The setting for this book has moved to the capital city in the palace since Kestrel is now engaged to the Prince, who is kind despite having a terrible father yet she at best thinks he's unimpressive. She becomes a "spy" (she basically does nothing) against the King who is terribly one sided and hates just about everyone except Kestrel's father. Why does the king even really want her to become Queen? Well, I'm rambling now, but basically Kestrel makes dumb choice after dumb choice. I mean seriously. Kestrel was supposed to be smart, right? Well she's probably the most shallow and unthoughtful character I've read this year. I'm supposed to like her? Yeah...No. If you recall, I chose the first book as my "Book with bad reviews" and was impressed. Winner's Crime has more positive reviews than the first one (Winner's Curse), even the blogger who said she didn't get why the first one was so popular liked the second one. WHAT??? Now I'm the one that doesn't get it.
I don't think I ever will.
Fairest - Marissa Meyer - 220 pgs
4) A book published this year
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles series by Meyer (Cinder, Scarlet, etc.) I address you directly now. Read this book. It's easy to overlook since it's small, it's a prequel, and the line for it at the library is some 400+ people long, but it's worth it.
If you're unfamiliar with the Lunar Chronicles, think all your favorite fairytales set in a science fiction setting. It's innovative and unlike any other retelling of classic fairytales you've read. Fairest was released January 27th 2015 after the first three books of the series, but it takes place before all of them. It tells the tale of the Evil Queen, Levana, and how she came to be the controlling ruler of the moon. It's a slippery slope from oppressed character to villain and we get to see every heartbreaking, shocking choice Levana makes on her way to the throne. She's crazy people. In stories like this, you tend to feel sorry for the character and their choices make sense, but not here. Sure, you understand why she makes her choices, but you never agree with them and you certainly don't want to see her succeed.I love this series and I'm excited for the last book coming out later this year. I would suggest it to all fairytale and sci-fi lovers out there, you could even start with Fairest and go to Cinder from there.
The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson - 590 pgs
40) A book with non-human characters
Can you tell I'm running out of open ended requirements to fit these books in? This could've been my trilogy, but I had already started another one first. Anyway...
Goodness, these books are good. This is the sequel to Mistborn, which I read earlier in the year. Brandon Sanderson has a gift people. He's able to write a bunch of believable characters and keep them all interesting and distinctly individual. I can never smell his plot twists before he reveals them. I wrote that the first book reminded me of the Harry Potter books because they are lengthy and have an overarching storyline that makes everything important and involved in that overarching story. It answers it's questions, even if it takes time to do so. I don't have to worry about a storyline not being completed and that's a blessing.
This sequel deals with the consequences of the first book. They over threw a large and powerful government, there are going to be consequences of that. I feel like I haven't read very many books that have made me realize that fact. I mean, overthrowing and oppressive government is wonderful (Uh-meri-kah) and usually takes the whole series to do anyway, so why worry, right? Wrong. Suddenly their hopes for making Luthadel an equal and thriving city are being destroyed not just by the armies coming to take over, but also the citizens inside who don't believe their freedom is more important than living. This book has it all. Substantial character progression, plot twists, war, death, love, betrayal, exciting new characters, humor. In short, this series continues to be one of the best things I've ever had the pleasure of stumbling across. If you like high fantasy or a good long summer read with memorable characters (like the good old days when Harry Potter was released every summer) I highly recommend this series.
Read on,
Jamie
Sunday, May 24, 2015
All The Light We Cannot See
All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr - 530 Pages
15) A Pulitzer-Prize winning book
I've now had quite a while to mull over my thoughts for this book and my love has not lessened.
When I was nearing the climax I was literally unable to turn the pages fast enough. I'm pretty sure it's a miracle I didn't completely tear out some of the pages I was trying to flip faster. The Pulitzer-Prize was very well deserved and this is one of the best books I've ever read.
The book tells the story about two young people who grow up during the second World War. One is a Marie-Laure, a blind french girl with a loving father who makes a miniature of their neighborhood so that she can navigate Paris. The other is Werner, a german orphan who is incredibly bright but because of his social status will seemingly die in the mines like his father. Anthony Doerr intertwines their stories perfectly and shows us just what it may have been like to grow up in such a time. All The Light We Cannot See is not completely a reference to Marie-Laure being blind, it's also about the literal light our brain cannot see. But it's also about all the stories and lives we cannot possibly know. It's about how others touch our lives is such significant ways but we will never know. It's about all the goodness that seems a miracle but has some meaning we cannot understand.
My love for WWII Historical Fiction was enough to make me want to read this book and the writing style was more than enough to hook me for the whole 530 pages. The chapters are short so it felt like I flew through this book in four days.
I don't know guys, sometimes a book is just so beautiful that I'm left speachless. That's why I put off writing this review, in hopes that some coherent thoughts and meditations would manifest themselves. All The Light We Cannot See is that book.
At risk of sounding juvenile I want to point out something. There are a lot of young adult books now a days that center on a group of people being oppressed because they are slightly different. I've read a lot this year already. I think we have a tendency to say, "That could never happen in our world. We would never make slaves out of people with red blood if we had silver or gold (Red Queen and Golden Son) THIS IS NOT A FANTASY. This happened, this STILL happens.
"Entropy is the degree of randomness or disorder in a system, Doctor."
His eyes fix on Werner's for a heartbeat, a glance both warm and chilling. "Disorder. You hear the commandant say it. You hear your bunk masters say it. There must be order. Life is chaos, gentleman. And what we represent is an ordering to that chaos. Even down to the genes. We are ordering the evolution of the species. Winnowing out the inferior, the unruly, the chaff. This is the great project of the Reich, the greatest project human beings have ever embarked on."
Hauptmann writes on the blackboard. The cadets inscribe the words into their composition books. The entropy of a closed system never decreases.
(Page 240)
The Book Thief has been my favorite book for years and years now, but I think All The Light We Cannot See may be my new favorite book. Well done Mr. Doerr, well done.
"Do you think, Madame, that in heaven we will really get to see God face-to-face?"
"We might."
"What if you're blind?"
"I'd expect that if God wants us to see something, we'll see it."
(Page 292)
Read on,
Jamie
15) A Pulitzer-Prize winning book
I've now had quite a while to mull over my thoughts for this book and my love has not lessened.
When I was nearing the climax I was literally unable to turn the pages fast enough. I'm pretty sure it's a miracle I didn't completely tear out some of the pages I was trying to flip faster. The Pulitzer-Prize was very well deserved and this is one of the best books I've ever read.
The book tells the story about two young people who grow up during the second World War. One is a Marie-Laure, a blind french girl with a loving father who makes a miniature of their neighborhood so that she can navigate Paris. The other is Werner, a german orphan who is incredibly bright but because of his social status will seemingly die in the mines like his father. Anthony Doerr intertwines their stories perfectly and shows us just what it may have been like to grow up in such a time. All The Light We Cannot See is not completely a reference to Marie-Laure being blind, it's also about the literal light our brain cannot see. But it's also about all the stories and lives we cannot possibly know. It's about how others touch our lives is such significant ways but we will never know. It's about all the goodness that seems a miracle but has some meaning we cannot understand.
My love for WWII Historical Fiction was enough to make me want to read this book and the writing style was more than enough to hook me for the whole 530 pages. The chapters are short so it felt like I flew through this book in four days.
I don't know guys, sometimes a book is just so beautiful that I'm left speachless. That's why I put off writing this review, in hopes that some coherent thoughts and meditations would manifest themselves. All The Light We Cannot See is that book.
At risk of sounding juvenile I want to point out something. There are a lot of young adult books now a days that center on a group of people being oppressed because they are slightly different. I've read a lot this year already. I think we have a tendency to say, "That could never happen in our world. We would never make slaves out of people with red blood if we had silver or gold (Red Queen and Golden Son) THIS IS NOT A FANTASY. This happened, this STILL happens.
"Entropy is the degree of randomness or disorder in a system, Doctor."
His eyes fix on Werner's for a heartbeat, a glance both warm and chilling. "Disorder. You hear the commandant say it. You hear your bunk masters say it. There must be order. Life is chaos, gentleman. And what we represent is an ordering to that chaos. Even down to the genes. We are ordering the evolution of the species. Winnowing out the inferior, the unruly, the chaff. This is the great project of the Reich, the greatest project human beings have ever embarked on."
Hauptmann writes on the blackboard. The cadets inscribe the words into their composition books. The entropy of a closed system never decreases.
(Page 240)
The Book Thief has been my favorite book for years and years now, but I think All The Light We Cannot See may be my new favorite book. Well done Mr. Doerr, well done.
"Do you think, Madame, that in heaven we will really get to see God face-to-face?"
"We might."
"What if you're blind?"
"I'd expect that if God wants us to see something, we'll see it."
(Page 292)
Read on,
Jamie
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