January 2018 – Book Reviews for Bookish People

Posted on January 30, 2018 by bookreviews628 · 4 Comments

The Zodiac Book Tag

It’s time to waste time with another book tag! I’m going to give a shoutout to Audrey Writes Abroad for doing this tag before me. I appreciate it. This may sound silly but I’m a fan of astrology. I certainly don’t follow my zodiac (Cancer btw) religiously but I enjoy reading about zodiacs and comparing mine to my friends’ zodiacs. I hope you fellow astrology fans hope you like the books I’ve picked in correspondence.

Capricorn: Hardworking, Stubborn, Straightforward

For this one, I’m going to have to pick The Lightning Thief (Book 1 of the Percy Jackson series). The whole story is about determine teenagers who have to fight against literal gods no matter what. It fits the bill for me.

Taurus: Good Taste, Sensual, Stubborn, Down to Earth

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is my pick for this one as it has a great combination of deep rooted-stories, bizarre (but kind of hot) sex scenes, and an overall profound message.

Virgo: Successful, Creative, Clever

This is my mom’s zodiac sign and one of her (and my) favorite book/movie is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It’s certainly a unique spin on a classic fairy tale with plenty of wit and whim that keeps you hanging on.

Aquarius: Innovative, Admired, Eccentric, Distant

A good friend of mine is an Aquarius so I must honor my friend by choosing the Sherlock Holmes series. It’s certainly a front runner for detective novels and the backstory is just as eccentric as the story itself. You may not be a fan of Sherlock Holmes but you have to admit that it certainly has had an impact on pop culture.

Gemini: Dynamic, Many Talents, Likes Games

This one is a bit of a pun but I’m choosing Game of Thrones (Book 1 of A Song of Fire and Ice) by George RR Martin. If you are a fan of the show and/or the books, then you see my reasoning. The novels cover such a wide range of well-developed characters who must win the ultimate “game.”

Libra: Irresistible, Adventurous, Indecisive

Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments were one of my favorite series in high school and it still fits this description. I had a hard time putting down that series and Clare created some brilliant conflicts within the series that I’m still mad about.

Pisces: Free, Sensual, Sensitive

The Great Gatsby is a short but powerful novel that follows it’s own path with Fitzgerald’s tender writing. The free spirited characters are bogged down with the touchy world of wealth. This is definitely a book for a Pisces.

Cancer (me): Sensitive, Friend-Oriented, Forgives but Doesn’t Forget

Forgive me for being biased but I have to pick The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The novel carries the theme that friendship is one of the most valuable things in a person’s life. Along with Amir’s tough but soft characterization, this book is perfect for my fellow Cancers.

Scorpio: Self-Reliant, Powerful, Secretive, Wise

My younger sister and another close friend of mine both share this zodiac so I have to give them a shoutout. I’m picking Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Love it or hate it, the novel is certainly perfectly twisted and strange in every way.

Aries: Brave, Independent, Impulsive, Hates to be Restricted

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights comes to mind as Catherine and Heathcliff fit the Aries description (in my opinion). With it’s wild setting and even wilder characters, Wuthering Heights doesn’t hold back in its dark themes.

Leo: Creative, Popular, Faithful

Leos are guaranteed to enjoy the Harry Potter series. It’s creativity lends to it’s popularity which then lends to it’s pretty faithful following, adaptations, and spin-offs.

Sagittarius: Open-minded, Loving, Insensitive

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the first books most students are exposed to as it exhibits open-minded and loving characters who are seen through the point of view of the precocious Scout.

I can’t wait to hear what you all think of my choices. I’m leaving you a link to an artist who does “shitty horoscopes” and I love their work.

Posted on January 28, 2018 by bookreviews628

A New Kind of Human, A New Kind of Murder: Reviewing Lock In by John Scalzi

Hi everyone! I am very excited to be ticking off another book off of my TBR list with another Scalzi novel. If you are interested, you can check out my review of his other novel Redshirts. This novel also ends my mystery novel kick but this one is a bit different as it falls more in the sci-fi category. You will see in a moment when I talk more about this novel. The terminology is a bit confusing so bear with me but I will do my best to explain everything. Anyways, here is my review of Lock In by John Scalzi.

A dangerous virus, named “Haden’s Syndrome,” swept the globe and caused sufferers to become “locked in.” They were completely aware and alive but couldn’t move or respond. A quarter of a century later, sufferers of Haden’s Syndrome (now just called Hadens) have found ways to function in the world through Integrators – humans who can help Hadens experience the world – or “threeps” – humanoid robots. Rookie FBI Agent Chris Shane (a Haden himself) and his veteran partner Leslie Vann are assigned to the case of an Integrator who appears to have murdered his Haden. As Shane and Vann follow the trails, they come to realize that this is a bigger mystery that involves Hadens and non-Hadens alike. The two find themselves in the middle of a conflict between the “old” human culture and the rising human subculture created by Haden’s Syndrome.

I want to say in advance that the terminology is a bit confusing at first. Scalzi was kind enough to create a little “cheat sheet” in the beginning of the novel in order to clarify his world building. It took me about four chapters before I became familiar with the slang but, after that, I could read the novel with ease. That’s also a good warning for any readers who may not be too familiar with science fiction and the world building in there. However, if you are an avid science fiction reader, then this novel should definitely go on your shelf as should any Scalzi novel. The world he creates is very intricate but cleverly crafted. Scalzi’s characters seem to thrive on their own in this strange world where one percent of the population must rely on other humans or robots in order to lead a normal existence. His main characters, Shane and Vann, have good chemistry and character development. As the story is told through Shane’s point of view, it gives the reader a better change to become familiar with the world of Haden’s. The dialogue is witty and realistic, with all of the new terms flowing seamlessly. There’s something a little cyber-punk about this novel that I enjoyed in particular. If you like murder and technology, then Lock In is the novel for you. Scalzi strikes again with his unique and hilarious writing along with his mashup of mystery and science fiction.

Posted on January 23, 2018 by bookreviews628

All My Soul Within Me Burning: Reviewing The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

Hi everyone! I am so glad to be bringing you another book review so soon. I practically raced to finish this book today. As you might know, I am a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe and I have been absolutely fascinated with his odd life as well as death. I saw the title of this book and could not resist. I promise not to be biased in this review but it does combine a lot of my favorite elements. I will now tell you my thoughts on The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl.

Quentin Hobson Clark, a young lawyer living in Baltimore, is devastated by the death of his favorite author, Edgar Allan Poe. Clark decides to take it upon himself to clear Poe’s name and solve the mystery behind the bizarre death. Quentin soon realizes that there is much more to Poe’s death than he imagined as it leads him to international police agents, assassinations, and the horror of the Baltimore slave trade. Clark finds soon that he must solve the mystery of Poe’s death or else he may befall the same fate.

At first, when I was reading this novel, I was afraid that it may simply lead back to the factual evidence of Poe’s death, which is still unsolved to this day. Instead, I found myself enthralled with the twists and turns that the plot took me on. The pacing is slow to begin with but I soon began to realize it was the beginning of a roller coaster. The novel avoids getting too convoluted but still provides enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. I was surprised by how intense this novel got but I absolutely love that. This novel is most definitely in the vein of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories with its gothic elements and atmospheric writing. I am so glad I stumble upon this novel. You don’t need to be a Poe fan but, if you are a Poe fan like me, then I highly recommend Matthew Pearl’s The Poe Shadow as your next mystery/thriller novel.

Posted on January 20, 2018 by bookreviews628 · 2 Comments

The Aesthetically Pleasing Book Tag

Hi everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a book tag and I’m ready for another one. This one was created by Book Syrup and I found it through Book Tag Index so check out both of the blogs.

The Best Color Combo on a Book?

Best Typography (Font) on a Book?

Best Simple Cover?

Best End Pages?

I don’t own many books that have fancy end pages so I can’t really answer this one.

Best Map? (Game of Thrones)

Best Naked Hardback?

Best Back Cover?

Best Chapter Headers?

Best Illustrations? (milk and honey by Rupi Kaur)

Best Spine?

Favorite Cover on Your Shelves?

Posted on January 19, 2018 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

Current Favorites: Podcasts Edition (Part 2)

Hi everyone! I realized that it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts. Therefore, I decided to do another blog more of the podcasts I’ve discovered. Personally, I like to listen to podcasts while I’m working and I’m sure some of you like to do the same. Here are some suggestions if you’re looking for a new podcast or two to enjoy.

Alice Isn’t Dead – From the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, “Alice Isn’t Dead” follows the journey of our unnamed narrator as she decides to become a truck driver in order to find her wife Alice, who she once presumed to be dead. If you’re looking for a perfectly twisted and weird serial then this podcast is for you. I really enjoy this one, as I am a mystery junkie. You don’t have to be a fan of Night Vale in order to enjoy this series but it definitely holds up to the same level of weirdness if that’s what you’re looking for.

Crime in Sports – Are you a sports fan? Well I’m not but this one definitely peaked my interest. Created by the same hosts as “Small Town Murder,” this podcasts explores the lives of athletes from various sports who fell from grace so hard that it’s mind boggling. You don’t need to know anything about sports in order to enjoy this podcast but, if you do have sports background, then this podcast is definitely for you.

Harry Potter and the Sacred Text – I had to include a Harry Potter related podcast on this list and this is the one that appeals to my inner English Major. Join Vanessa and Casper as they delve into the series and analyze it chapter by chapter. This podcast provides a meaningful and thoughtful conversation about the magical books we all know and love.

Spirits – It’s time for some boozy talk about mythology, legends, and folk lore. For you fans of all things paranormal, supernatural, and alcoholic, then I recommend this podcast. It’s fairly light-hearted but still informative. Grab some wine and sit back as your hosts discuss legends from all over the world.

Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know – Get your tin foil hats ready before you listen to this podcasts that explores the strangest and most interesting conspiracies. Whether it’s a government cover up, alien invasion, or questionable death, this podcast covers it all. You might be just a little more paranoid after listening to one of these episodes but, I guarantee, you will be fascinated the entire time.

That’s my part two. There are some more podcasts coming out in spring that I’m looking forward to that I might do individual reviews on. In the meanwhile, let me know if there’s any podcasts you enjoy that I might not know about or if you like any of these ones.

Posted on January 15, 2018 by bookreviews628

Some Thoughts, TBR List,and Plans for this Blog

Hi everyone! I’m back at school and I have the day off due to Martin Luther King Jr day so I decided to do a little ramble, if you don’t mind. I’m not expecting a ton of you to be terribly interested in this but if you stick around to read this then I appreciate it. For starters, I’m pleased to say that I’ll have much more time to do some leisure reading as I don’t have any required novel reading this semester. I have a lot of really awesome opportunities coming up and I am beyond excited. I’m even considering doing posts about these things but I am still on the fence. Privacy is very important to me, as it is to you but I might be opening up a bit more about myself as posts I have done about that in the past have seem to have gotten very good reception.

As for other blog posts, I’m going to experiment with other reviews. I’m a big movie fan so I would like to do movies reviews and see how that goes. Also, I’m considering doing a big series where I re-read series that I used to be especially obsessed with give my thoughts on them as an adult. Some of the series I want to re-read are the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series, The Mortal Instruments series, and the Hunger Games series. Those are (almost) the complete YA series I own. I also really wanted to kick off my Bad Fan Fiction Friday series. I did a previous blog post with more detail but the abbreviated version is that I want you guys to send me bad fan fiction and I will do a semi-serious analysis of it. I think it would be really funny and interesting. I also might do some other non-book related posts but I don’t have any specific ideas at this moment. Let me know if you have any ideas that you would like to see.

Let’s get to the TBR list. I actually went through a bunch of various posts from all of you and compiled all of your favorite books into my own list of novels I want to read now. So I have to give a big shout out to all of my fellow bookworms for giving me the ideas. I currently have eighteen (!) books I’m hoping to read in this year alone. I might post this list in a separate post along with a very honest DNF list.

Thank you so much for reading this post if you decided to stick around to the end. You can look forward to two book reviews coming up soon. In the meanwhile, I hope you stay warm and live your best lives.

Posted on January 11, 2018 by bookreviews628 · 1 Comment

We Never Stop Burning: Reviewing Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

Hello everyone. As I am soon heading back to college, I am using as much time as I have left to do some leisure reading. This particular novel as been on my TBR list for a while now and I even managed to get a signed copy. I’ve become more of a Krysten Ritter fan after watching Marvel’s Jessica Jones, which I highly recommend. Celebrity written books tend to be looked down upon as they are either hit-or-miss unless it’s an autobiography of some kind but I let my bias for Ms. Ritter guide me to this novel. So, I will now tell you about her debut novel, Bonfire.

Environmental lawyer Abby Williams had spent a decade trying to escape from her small town and reestablish herself. She is forced to confront the past when a case involving a big company, Optimal Plastics, takes her right back to where she came from. The case becomes deeper and stranger when Abby finds a connection to the disappearance of her former best friend, Kaycee Mitchell. Abby finds her self struggling to keep her mind together as she is sucked back into her not-so-quiet hometown. With the weight a conspiracy on her shoulders, Abby Williams must solve these seemingly serrate mysteries in order to fix her small town.

You all know at this point that I’m a sucker for a good mystery novel and Bonfire definitely fulfilled this. Ritter’s prose is realistic and vivid with hints of snark and sentiment. The way that all of the mysteries tie together is satisfying, as well as how the main character’s arc is completed. Ritter doesn’t hold back on the emotional side of this story but balances it out with the technical, legal aspect. Sometimes the conversations of legal jargon can weigh the story down but it’s not enough to throw off the pacing of the story. Some of the side characters were a little flat but, again, it didn’t throw off the story. If you are a fan of Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins, then I definitely recommend Bonfire for you. Krysten Ritter’s literary debut is a strong one with plenty of twists, turns, and suspense that will keep any mystery novel-lover turning the pages.

Posted on January 4, 2018 by bookreviews628 · 3 Comments

Very Few of Us are What We Seem: Reviewing Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Hi everyone. I am back and I’m going to give you my first book review of 2018. The only benefit of the freezing cold weather is it gives me more motivation to read. I have mentioned in the past that I am a big fan of mystery novels so I was very excited to read my first Agatha Christie novel. This one seemed appropriate as a movie adaptation came out last month/year. Anyways, before I ramble on, I will give you my thoughts on Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

The famous Orient Express was making its usually journey when it is stopped by a snowdrift. In the morning, one of its passengers, the millionaire Edward Ratchett is found dead with over a dozen stab wounds. Detective Hercule Poirot must take matters into his own hands as he tries to uncover which of the other passengers in the murderer. Surrounded by Ratchett’s enemies, Poirot must work quickly before the murderer takes another victim on the Orient Express.

Being that this is my first Christie novel, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Now, that I have read it I must say that I enjoyed this a lot more than other mystery novels I have read. The pacing of the novel was steady and rarely stopped for anything other than the main plot. This focus is beautifully woven into the character of Poirot, who was refreshing to read compared to more fast-thinking or gritty fictional detectives. As a reader, I felt that it gave me an opportunity to “solve” the crime myself. It reminded me a lot of a giant riddle but I enjoyed that aspect as I love solving complicated riddles and puzzles. I didn’t feel as though I was just waiting to the end for the conclusion but that I was able to come up with at least part of the conclusion myself. (No spoilers, I promise.) In the end, I really enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express and I will definitely pick up another Christie novel in the future.

Note: There is a really good Doctor Who episode about Agatha Christie that I recommend you watch.