November 2017 – Book Reviews for Bookish People

Posted on November 27, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

Quotes to Consider

Hello everybody. I am back at college and already feeling the pressures of upcoming projects and finals week. Some of you may be stressed out university students as well or you’re stressed out by work, or family, or just life in general. In order to combat this, I turn to some of my favorite quotes to give me some reassurance that I will make it through all of this. I haven’t posted about quotes in a while so I am going to share with you more of my favorite ones. Please enjoy.

“May the space between where I am and where I want to be inspire me.” – Anonymous

“Words are the antidote for everything that’s ever hurt, ever stopped, ever bruised my heart.” – Noor Unnahar

“The courage it took to get out of bed each morning to face the same things over and over again was enormous.” – Charles Bukowski

“In all you do, absolutely everything, may love be the core, may love be the essence.” – Christopher Poindexter

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood

“You’re feeling burnt out and discouraged, but you’ve made it this far and I think that’s really brave.” – Anonymous

“Strange as it may seem, I hope for the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely it arrives, and when it does it can be lost so easily.” – Lemony Snicket

“I want to taste and glory in each day, and never be afraid to experience pain.” – Sylvia Plath

“Let me be that I am and seek no to alter me.” – William Shakespeare

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce

“In the world through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself.” – Anonymous

I hope you enjoyed these quotes. I would love to hear some of your favorite inspirational quotes so leave them in the comments. Share your inspiration with everyone who may need it.

Posted on November 26, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 3 Comments

The Seven Deadly Sins Book Tag

Hello everyone! My Thanksgiving vacation is reaching its end which means that finals week is fasting approaching. To alleviate some of my anxiety, I think it’s time for another tag. I found this on Chloe @ the bookdragon’s blog so check out her stuff. Now, I’ll tell you about my book sins.

Greed: What is your most expensive book and what is your least expensive book?

I honestly can’t tell you what my most expensive book is. I know I’ve paid more than I wanted for those godawful college textbooks. As for least expensive books, I have gotten some books for free.

Wrath: Which author do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Rick Riordan has caused me a lot of stress in the Percy Jackson series and The Heroes of Olympus series. Cassandra Clare, Veronica Roth, and George RR Martin have also stressed me out to no end but I’m still a fan of their novels.

Gluttony: Which book(s) have you devoured over and over again, with no remorse whatsoever?

Of course, I’ve read the Harry Potter books more than I can count. I’ve also read American Gods and my Sherlock Holmes collection over and over. Bonus: I’ve listened to the audiobook of The Martian more time than I care to tell you.

Sloth: What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

I keep wanting to read more of the longer Stephen King novels but they are just so damn long. My attention span isn’t that great.

Pride: Which book do you like to talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?

I do bring up the classics like Paradise Lost, Pride and Prejudice, North and South, and any Shakespeare plays in order to sound fancy. I also like to bring up that I’ve read Roman history books, plus the Illiad and the Odyssey.

Lust: What attributes do you find most attractive in male and/or female characters?

I’m a sucker for a sarcastic loner who covers up their pain with snark. I also like characters that embrace their imperfections. Bonus points for secretly sensitive characters.

Envy: What book would you most like to receive as a gift?

I don’t want a book necessarily but I really want more of The Walking Dead comic collection.

That’s the end of the tag. I’m interested in seeing what you all say for this tag. Have a good one.

Posted on November 23, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

The My Name In Books Tag

Hi everyone! I decided since I’m on a short vacation so I’m going to do a short and easy tag. I’ve seen a bunch of people do this one so thanks to everyone I’ve seen do this. I tag the rest of you. This is super easy. You just have to spell out your name in book titles. I’m going to do my first and middle name. My last name is too long. So here we go, time to spell out Emily Sue in book titles

E: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

M: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I: It by Stephen King

L: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Y: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost) by Felicia Day

S: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

U: Ulysses by James Joyce

E: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Posted on November 21, 2017 by bookreviews628

Counting Stars, Cars,and Prime Numbers: Reviewing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

Since Thanksgiving is approaching soon, I decided that I wanted to tell you all something I’m thankful for. I’m thankful that we live in a world where more and more people are getting the representation that they deserve in the media. Mark Haddon’s novel is one example. This is the last book I have to read for my YA Literature class and I was surprised by how much this novel sucked me in. I will now tell you my thoughts about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Christopher John Francis Boone sees the world differently than everyone else. He can count all the prime numbers, he knows all the capitals of every country, and he wants to be an astronaut. He has a hard time connecting to people but loves dogs. When his neighbor’s dog is found dead, Christopher decides to take the case into his own hands like his favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes. Soon, Christopher finds more secrets than he bargained for as he explores the world in his own unique way.

What I really enjoyed in particular about this novel is the authentic voice. The narrator, Christopher, has Asperger’s and has a particular way of viewing the world that makes you, as the reader, think more about how other people see things. I can’t speak for everyone but, in my experience, I have known people on the autism spectrum who are a lot like Christopher. Haddon creates a moving and heart-wrenching story that has poignancy and warmth. I found that I couldn’t put this book down. The voice feels so authentic in this day where things like autism are easily misunderstood. I recommend this book for anyone looking for such a unique narration and I hope it gives you some understanding of what the world is like for those whose minds work differently.

Posted on November 19, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 2 Comments

Dead Men Tell Tales: Reviewing Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Hi everyone. First of all, I’m really proud of doing two reviews in one weekend. Since Thanksgiving break is coming up for me, I’ve had a little bit of time to catch up on my reading. This book stood out to me in particular because I remember watching the movie adaptation when I was pretty young. It was the first R-rated movie I had ever seen. It’s certainly not the most intense movie but, for an 11-year-old, it was wild. We can all just admit that we went through a vampire phase in the early to mid – 2000s. I remember being obsessed with Twilight for a time. Dracula is still one of my favorite novels.I decided I wanted to read something in between Dracula and Twilight so I will now tell you what I thought about Interview with the Vampire.

A young man named Louis was riddled with guilt over his brother’s death when the mysterious Lestat appeared in his life. Louis soon falls victim to Lestat’s charms and finds himself transformed into a vampire. He is pulled down into a dark world of the undead and must navigate the dangerous society with the young Claudia by his side. After hundreds of years, Louis decides it is finally time to reveal his secrets to a young man and hold back nothing.

Like I said above, It’s been a while since I’ve read a vampire book and decided to give this one a shot. Anne Rice has written some of the most popular vampire novels. After reading this novel, I can see why. Louis makes for a great narrator as he is sympathetic and a bit of an underdog. He’s the closest thing to a protagonist in a book where there are little to no “good” characters. Normally, a book with one character talking would be boring to me but I found myself enjoying it more than I thought. Lestat is one of the more intriguing antagonists with his charismatic and intense nature. Claudia was even creepier in the novel than she is in the movie but it makes for a good horror element. While the book isn’t super violent or graphic outside of what you might expect with all of the blood drinking, it has enough to make it intense. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a supernatural novel, specifically a vampire one. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I would read it again.

Note: Anne Rice is a bit of a controversial figure but her life is pretty interesting so I’m going to leave a link to her wikipedia page if you’re interested in reading more about her.

Posted on November 18, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 4 Comments

In Space, No One Can Hear You Steal: Reviewing Artemis by Andy Weir

You don’t even know how excited I was to finally get this book. I had been patiently waiting for the longest time for the release date. I don’t know how a bunch of you got a copy ahead of time but I’m glad that I can finally enjoy this novel with the rest of you. I’ve gushed over The Martian enough so it’s time to gush about another book. I will now give you my review of Artemis, Andy Weir’s second ever novel.

Life on the moon is great if you’re rich. If you’re not rich, then it sucks. Jazz Bashara has spent most of her life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, making a living meager living as a porter for the wealthy eccentric businesspeople. When one eccentric businessman offers her an opportunity to get rich quick, Jazz decides to take matters into her own hands in order to escape her crappy life. Soon, Jazz realizes that she is caught up in a much larger conspiracy that puts the entirety of Artemis at risk. Jazz must use her quick wit and tech knowledge in order to save her city and defeat the criminals who seek to control it.

Like I said before, I was so excited to finally read this novel and I was happy with what I had read. Weir incorporates his signature wit and humor into each character he created. It is not a fantastically futuristic book but it is founded in real science, much like The Martian was. I think what makes the setting more interesting is that it does have real science. I’m not a science person by any manes but I was fascinated with Weir’s realistic world he created. Jazz is a funny, sarcastic, and realistic heroine who definitely stands apart. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for any of you sci-fi lovers out there. Andy Weir’s second novel is a fantastic and hilarious space thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Posted on November 12, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

Double Mini-Reviews: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Hi everyone! While I wait patiently for Artemis by Andy Weir to be released on Amazon, I decided I’m going to review the two latest books I have read for my YA Lit class. They are both fairly short novels and are very popular as well so I wanted to share my thoughts about them with you. I hope you enjoy.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Allegedly taken from the real diary of a teen girl, Go Ask Alice follows the harrowing journey of an unnamed girl who falls into drug use after trying LSD at a house party. Soon, she spirals out of control and struggles to return to her normal life but she must fight her addictions first.

I wasn’t particularly impressed with this novel. Now, it’s been disputed who was really the author but, regardless, the writing didn’t sound like a teen girl, even if she did live in the 1970s. While I didn’t like the writing, I still have to admit that there are valuable things to be taken from this short novel. This was one of the first novels to talk about drug abuse among teens and it still holds up in that aspect. If you are interested in examining YA literature from the past, then I recommend Go Ask Alice. If you are looking for some “fun” YA literature, then I suggest you look elsewhere.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino is off to an awful start in high school. She is abandoned by her former friends and outed by the rest of the school after she called the cops on a party. Melinda hides the truth for months and months until she decides to speak. She will change everything.

This novel is more recent and I definitely preferred the writing in this one, as it sounded more authentic. I found Melinda to be very relatable and I sympathized with her strongly. Speak definitely illustrates the viciousness of high school with accuracy. It is certainly a heart-wrenching novel that holds up more in this day and age. Again, if you are looking for a “fun” read, then go look elsewhere but if you are looking for a short but emotionally powerful novel then I recommend Speak. Anderson eloquently and painfully depicts the struggles of hiding your struggles from the world out of fear, even on a small scale.

Posted on November 10, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

Ten Book Related Songs Tag

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while. I’ve been busy and also I haven’t really read anything new but I hope to post something new. I saw this tag on Julie Davide’s blog so make sure to check out her site. Now, I will share with you my favorite songs based on books with links if you want to listen to them as well.

“Over the Love” By Florence and the Machine from The Great Gatsby (dir. Baz Luhrmann)

While Lana Del Rey’s song “Young and Beautiful” is a really beautiful song, this one is also a really poignant song. I absolutely love Florence and the Machine as well. The Great Gatsby is also one of my favorite books.

“I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (dir. Peter Jackson)

I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan so I was really geeked when he did a song for the album for the movie adaptation for The Hobbit.

“As You Wish” by Alesana based on The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The movie adaptation of The Princess Bride is easily one of the most iconic movies. Any fan of the book or the movie will appreciate this duet. Alesana also has done other literary themed songs that are based off of Dante’s Inferno and Edgar Allan Poe’s stories so I definitely recommend look at their other music.

“Oxford Comma” by Vampire Weekend from the album “Vampire Weekend”

I think you writers and grammar nerds will get a kick out of this song. The chorus is pretty hilarious as it begins out with the honest line, “Who gives a fuck about the Oxford comma?”

“White Blank Page” by Mumford and Sons from the album Sigh No More

I don’t know about the rest of you but I really loved Mumford and Sons when they first came out with their banjo-infused sound. This one is particularly angst-filled and I think it works well for writers, who are a melodramatic bunch. (Bonus points for me because I happened to find a video of them performing this song in a bookstore).

“The Writer” by Ellie Goulding from the album Lights

I know that this one is a cover of another song but I love Ellie Goulding’s take on it. It’s a very whimsical and romantic song. We could all use a little bit of whimsy and romance on occasion.

“Shakespeare” by Fink from the album Hard Believer

This is another good angst-ridden song about struggling to learn Shakespeare as a teenager and just getting nothing from it. As a teen, I could have cared less for Romeo and Juliet.

“Paperback Writer” by The Beatles from the album 1

Let’s get classic with some of The Beatles. This one of my favorite songs and I hope you like it as well.

“Annabel Lee” By Stevie Nicks from the album In Your Dreams

Stevie Nicks took Poe’s poem, “Annabel Lee” and turned it into an awesome acoustic song with a bit of a 1970s vibe. It’s really fantastic.

“Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 (dir. Francis Lawrence)

All of the albums that came out for the movie adaptations of The Hunger Games series were really good but I love this one in particular because it’s just so damn empowering. (Also I just really love Lorde).

Those are ten of my favorite bookish songs. I hope the links work well. Also, let me know if you would like another top ten list like this. I love sharing my favorite music as well as my favorite books.

Posted on November 5, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

After The World Ended…: Reviewing World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

There was a point when I didn’t really care about the zombie genre. My interest was peaked when I saw Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead. Soon, I was hooked on The Walking Dead and I now have a better appreciation for the zombie genre as a whole. Most of these stories but you in the center of the action but they rarely discuss what happened afterwards. That is what makes Max Brooks’ novel so unique and I will now review World War Z for you.

It’s been years since the world was taken over by zombies. Humans managed to come out victorious, but at what price? One brave (but unnamed) journalist decides to travel the world to explore the aftermath of the Zombie War in order to uncover what truly happened during the zombie apocalypse and if the world will ever be the same again.

World War Z is certainly a unique take on the classic zombie apocalypse story. The novel is told through interviews with everyone from average citizens to prominent politicians. The format can come across as boring if you go into the novel without knowing how the story is told. If you are looking for a new idea in the zombie genre, then I definitely recommend this novel. Brooks provides a fascinating and in-depth look at a probable situation. It almost makes you feel as though you’ve lived through the Zombie War as well. Note: The movie adaptation of World War Z starring Brad Pitt is really good though it doesn’t follow the novel exactly. I still recommend it, regardless.

Posted on November 2, 2017 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

The Wonder Woman Book Tag

Hello all! I may have not mentioned this but I’m a big fan of superheroes. I’ve been in love with Marvel since the first Iron Man movie and I watch all of the CW superhero shows like Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl. I also have a pretty decently comic book collection that I’d be happy to share with you if you’re interested. In honor of Wonder Woman, I’m going to do this tag that I found on the Coffeeloving Bookoholic‘s blog.

Wonder Woman: Your Favorite Badass Female Book Character

I’m going to name a few here. Hermione Granger, Katniss Everdeen, Annabeth Chase (The Percy Jackson Series), Isabelle Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments), Tally Youngblood (The Uglies Series), Liesel Meminger (The Book Thief), and Tris Prior (The Divergent Series)

Themiscyra: A Book Setting You Want to Escape to

Hogwarts (obviously) and Kings Landing would be pretty awesome. I’d also like to spend some time in Camp Half-Blood

London: An Overhyped Book that let You Down

I was disappointed that I didn’t care for The Clockwork Angel series and I also didn’t care for The Catcher in the Rye.

Steve Trevor: A Book with a Beautiful Cover and Great Story

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller has a gorgeous cover with a gold-leaf helmet on the front and the story is fantastic. (Bonus points for being a Greek Mythology based story). Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also has a lovely cover. The Great Gatsby has classically beautiful cover as well.

Lasso of Truth: A Book You Hated

Real talk: I hated The Circle by Dave Eggers, Allegiant by Veronica Roth, Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers, and Anthem by Ayn Rand

Wonder Woman’s Shield: A Book So Sad You Needed a Shield

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

No-Man’s Land: A Book you wanted to send through No-Man’s Land to get shot

See the Lasso of Truth tag above.

Ares: A Villain that is Scary, but You can’t seem to Hate

Voldemort is kind of a badass along with the whole crew of Death Eaters. Hannibal Lecter is also a great horror villain. Bonus: Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes series.

Dr. Poison: A Villain that had no reason to exist

I honestly can’t think of any. Even if the villain wasn’t very great, they still had a purpose.

The Amazons: A Book that You wish has better LGBTQIA+ representation

I mean, a lot of books can fit under this category so I can’t name any one in particular. There is no doubt in my mind, though, that there needs to be more representation.

That’s the end of the tag. I tag everyone who is a fan of Wonder Woman or superheroes in general. Have fun!