September 2017 – Book Reviews for Bookish People

Posted on September 28, 2017 by bookreviews628

A Trick Worth Learning: Reviewing The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

Wow, I’m posting something other than a book tag. It only took a while but I finally got around to finishing my leisure reading. I do have some required reading that I will be reviewing so keep an eye out for that. In the meanwhile, please enjoy my review of Donna Tartt’s third novel, The Little Friend.

Twelve years ago, the murder of young Robin Cleve Dufresnes shook the small town of Alexandria, Mississippi. Harriet, his younger sister, decides to take matters into her own hands in order to solve the murder and bring her family closure. Armed with her insufferable stubbornness, keen wit, and favorite novels, Harriet and her loyal friend Hely set out to do what all of the adults failed to do. This coming-of-age story follows the precocious young girl as she explores the town’s dark history in order to solve her brother’s murder.

I thought that The Goldfinch would be my second favorite Tartt novel but The Little Friend took me by surprise. Tartt uses her childhood in Mississippi in order to craft a town that feels all too real. Her young protagonist, Harriet, deserves to be put among the other great female protagonists. The novel has a southern gothic feel with a hint of To Kill a Mockingbird, though it is not a novel about morals necessarily. The Little Friend combines a classic coming-of-age tale with a murder mystery that connects the entire town of Alexandria. Tartt maintains her unique style of writing with her strong characterizations and well-twisted story.

Posted on September 23, 2017 by bookreviews628

The Intergalactic Book Tag

Guess who’s back with another book tag? It’s me because I’m bored and haven’t read anything new lately. I don’t know why but I keep getting myself into books that take me forever to finish. How about we kill some time with a book tag? I got this one from Comma Hangover

Space – Name a book that is out of this world, or that takes place in a world from its own

The Martian takes place on Mars, so you can’t get much out of this world then that. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series takes place in a topsy-turvy world that exists on the back of a turtle. Neverwhere is set in a magical world located under London that completely different from the London we know.

Black Hole – a book that completely sucked you in

I will continue to peddle American Gods as I could not put that book down when I first read it. The Night Circus was also a intriguing book that I quickly fell into.

Lightspeed – a book that you are anticipating so much that you wish you could use light speed to get to it.

I realize that these authors are very decisive but I’m excited for these books regardless.

Nebula – A book with a beautiful cover

All of the books in the 50th anniversary series of Doctor Who books are gorgeous. I should note that I own all of these and they are great books.

Multiverse – Name a companion series or spinoff that you love

I absolutely loved The Heroes of Olympus series. It was the perfect add on for the Percy Jackson series and I loved the addition of Roman mythology

Gravity – Name your favorite romantic pairing that seem to have a gravitational pull to each other.

Achilles and Patroclus from The Song of Achilles are a wonderful couple that are so dedicated to each other. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy also have an undeniable attraction to each other without it being sappy.

The Big Bang – A book that got you started on reading.

Let’s just get Harry Potter out of the way because most of us got started with reading. I do remember absolutely loving Cornelia Funke and I loved The Dragon Rider in particular.

Asteroid – Name a short story or novella that you love

Poe and Gaiman have written some of my all-time favorite short stories.

Galaxy – Name a book with multiple POVs

These book all use multiple POVs beautifully and I definitely recommend them all.

Spaceship – Name a book title that would be a great name for a spaceship

Not The Odyssey but I think a ship called The Odysseus would be cool.

That’s the end of this particular tag. I hope at least a few of you enjoyed this and wish to do this tag as well. Have a good day!

Posted on September 17, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

Current Favorites: Podcast Edition

Hello All! I had some time this weekend in between studying and reading to share with you all some of my favorite podcasts. I’m a little bit of a podcast junkie so I hope to introduce some podcasts for those who are interested and those who already love podcasts. These aren’t any particular genre or style. These podcasts are simply ones that I love to listen to.

Welcome to Night Vale – This is probably the most well-known current podcast. Set in the mysterious and weird desert town, Welcome to Night Vale is the local radio show hosted by the enigmatic Cecil Baldwin. The story is perfectly bizarre and profound. This podcast also showcases indie artists as part of the “weather report.” It may not make sense right now, but you will be sucked into the abyss once you give this podcast a listen.

The Nerdist – Chris Hardwick hosts this interview series where he sits down with celebrities from all over the entertainment industry and they talk about everything. Hardwick manages to make an interview sound more like a fun conversation between friends (who just happen to be A-list celebrities).

Ear Biscuits – If you are a fan of YouTube then you have probably heard of Rhett and Link, the hosts of Good Mythical Morning. In this podcast, they sit down and talk about everything from conspiracies, to being cool, and even vasectomies. It’s a humorous and enjoyable listen for anyone looking for comedy.

How Did This Get Made? – Did you ever want to know how some of the most terrible movies to grace cinema were made? This podcast is for you. Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas sit down with celebrity guests to review and dissect the bizarre, the humorously bad, and the poorly acted. This podcast is perfect for movie buffs.

Lore – For fans of creepy history and urban legends, I present to you this particular podcast. The narrator (with a soothing voice, I might add) doesn’t look to spook but to merely explore these dark and gruesome parts of history. This podcast is great for the fall season.

The NoSleep Podcast – In the same vein as Lore, this podcast incorporates various narrators to read submitted scary stories. It is not for the faint of heart but horror fans are sure to love this one to.

Stuff You Missed in History Class – Time to give one for the history buffs. This podcast explores the lesser known figures of history who deserve recognition and lesser known historical events. The hosts do put an emphasis on women who have been disregarded by history, which I feel we can appreciate now. This podcast is informative and will keep you wanting to learn more.

The Writers Panel – I have a feeling a lot of you will be interested in this one. This podcast is a series of panels where writers from across entertainment discuss their craft. They do not limit it to just novelists but they interview screen writers, non-fiction writers, comic writers, and many more. Any writer is sure to be enamored with this podcast.

Stuff You Should Know – Have you ever wondered how the CIA works? Why do people stutter? What about fever dreams? This podcast covers a whole variety of diverse topics as the hosts delve into explaining how everything works. The never-ending topics will keep you saying, “Wow, I didn’t know that!”

Small Town Murder – Dark comedy is not meant for everyone but if you do have a slightly twisted sense of humor, then I recommend this one. Two comedians explore some of the strangest murders to happen in middle of nowhere-type places. The hosts keep a sense of levity while still providing an informative look at some graphic crimes. It sounds a little weird when I explain it but once you listen to it, you will understand what I mean.

This is my list for now. I will put out a part two once I listen to a few more podcasts. I hope you listen to these because I would love to discuss these with my followers. Let me know what you think and thank you for reading this.

Posted on September 8, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

The Doctor Who Book Tag

I’m a big old Whovian so I’m tagging all of my fellow Doctor Who fans to do this tag. Shout out to Becoming Bookish for making this tag. I greatly appreciate it.

The Classics – A book that still fits into YA literature

I’m going to have to say To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I recently reread it for class and I can see how it holds up the test of time. It may not be my favorite but I do appreciate it.

The Ninth Doctor – A book you feel is underrated

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller definitely deserves more attention, if you ask me. Feel free to read my review of the book.

David Tenant – A book series that was very hard to say good bye to when it ended

I feel like I don’t need too much of an explanation so I’m just going to leave the picture of the cover down here.

Matt Smith – A book that made you smile

The Lost Hero from the Heroes of Olympus series absolutely made me happy. I love the sense of humor that Riordan has that he uses in the books.

Rose and Ten – A ship that never sailed

I was pissed that Miles and Alaska never got a chance in Looking for Alaska by John Green.

Weeping Angel – A book that you blinked and it was over

The first time I read The Great Gatsby I breezed through it and was sad I did that. Now, that I’ve reread it I love it and it’s one of my favorites.

Daleks – A book you want to eliminate

I may have books I don’t like but I don’t have any books I would completely destroy.

Bow ties are cool – A bandwagon you jumped early on

I actually read most of The Song of Fire and Ice novels before Games of Thrones became super popular.

Run you clever boy, and remember – A book with a clever plot twist

I would have to say that Redshirts by John Scalzi had some really great plot twists that I enjoyed. (Check out my review of that one also)

Raxacoricofallipatorious – A book with names that you found really hard to pronounce

The Golden Compass tripped me up when I first read it.

The TARDIS – A book that took you back in time

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak paints a really vivid picture of WWII era Germany and it was fascinating to read.

I hope you all enjoyed this tag and I look forward to seeing other people’s answers.

Posted on September 3, 2017 by bookreviews628

And Then There Were None…: Reviewing Final Girls by Riley Sager

I’m a bit weird when it comes to the horror genre. I’m not a fan horror movies but I love horror books and I listen to “creepypastas” all of the time but I don’t watch horror movies. Thankfully, I’m familiar enough with the tropes to appreciate the structure on which the horror genre is built. I plucked this particular books off the shelf on nothing more than an impulse and I am certainly glad I did. Here is my review of Final Girls by Riley Sager.

Quincy Carpenter is the lone survivor of the Pine Cottage Massacre, where five of her college friends were slaughtered by a man she refers to as Him. She was dubbed a Final Girl by the media and found herself a part of an exclusive group of survivors. Ten years later, Quincy finally has her life together with a successful lawyer boyfriend and a baking blog. She is forced to confront her past when the first Final Girl, Lisa Milner, is found dead in her home. With the help of Sam, a fellow Final Girl, and her police officer friend, Coop, Quincy must race against time to find the killer before she is taken by the fate that she escaped ten years ago.

Now, I read these horror/thriller books knowing that they are not for everybody. If you are a fan of horror movies, this is the novel for you. Better yet, if you are a fan of Paula Hawkins (Girl on the Train) or Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), then you will appreciate the strong and complex female characters who must confront their pasts while trying to salvage an uncertain future. Sager provides an uncertain and gritty narrative that plays off of the classic horror movies tropes, building off of the standard slasher movie script. I found myself enjoying this novel more than I originally thought. Horror/mystery/thriller fans are sure to enjoy Sager’s Final Girls.

Posted on September 2, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 2 Comments

The Coffee Book Tag

Hi everybody. I survived my first week of the semester and I have a long weekend now. Again, I’m going to do a book tag because I have not had time to read quite yet. Also, I’m a bit of a coffee addict so this tag was only fitting. Once again, I saw multiple sources do this one so I will give credit to whoever has also done this tag. I hope all of my fellow coffee lovers enjoy this tag too.

Black – a series that’s hard to get into but has hardcore fans.

I’m going to have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books are deceptive and make you think that it will be an easy read. They are still good books regardless but the fandom is like an iceberg.

Peppermint Mocha – A book that gets more popular around the holiday season

I swear I watch the cartoon and the live action versions of this book at least ten times in December. It’s still one of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories.

Double Shot of Espresso – A book that kept you on edge from start to finish.

I couldn’t put down American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Martian by Andy Weir, The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, or The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins when I first read them.

Starbucks – A book you see everywhere

Outside of the Harry Potter books, I’ve been seeing Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Oops! I accidentally ordered decaf! – A book that you expected more from.

Crossed by Allie Condie let me down because I really enjoyed the first book, Matched. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn was not as good as her other books, in my opinion.

The Perfect Blend – A book that is bitter and sweet but satisfying.

I’m going to have to say The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and Brick Lane by Monica Ali all fit this criteria for me.

Green Tea – A book that is quietly beautiful

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman, Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, and Rooms by Lauren Oliver all fit this for me. Gaiman’s short stories are both fantastical and profound. Kaur delivers powerful poems about the reality of being a woman and her life experiences. Oliver’s reinvented ghost story provides beautiful imagery along with a heart-wrenching narrative.

Chai Tea – A book that made me dream of far off places

Do I dare say Harry Potter? Of course, I do. Stardust by Neil Gaiman and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan also had the same effect on me.

That is all for now, folks. As the semester rolls onward, I’ll have more opinions of books to share with you. I just wanted to let you all know that I’m going to try my best to be active. I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to stay caffeinated.