Over the last year I've read a few frustrating books. Not very many that I DNF'ed because they were that bad, but I've noticed that many of these books I was disappointed in have a similar theme: The books have too much. Too much time passing throughout the book and not enough happening in one time period. Too much detail. Too many items of conflict. For example The Magicians by Lev Grossman and Harry Potter & the Cursed Child by JK Rowling (et al) happen over a span of years. I understand why to an extent. Like in HP&tCC, there is a lot of backstory and events that lead to the main conflict and action. Or in The Magicians, there is a lot of world building that happens and once again, a lot of setup that then leads to the main adventure. Both of these books were alright in my opinion, but I wish that they would have been done differently. Maybe incorporate flashbacks that help build the characters and conflict instead of starting at the beginning and piecing small scenes together. Or (in the case of The Magicians) split it into at least two books. The school years could have been one book and then the adventure to Fillory could be a second book. There's just a lot of book there, and it doesn't all flow totally seamlessly together. It could easily been broken into 2 or 3 novels. Another book I had a huge problem with was She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. This book had too much of everything. It happened over a large span of years, from adolescence to young-adulthood. For the first half or so, I didn't really mind this. But then it just kept going and going and going and I was ready for it to stop about halfway through. Not only that, but there were WAY to many social issues brought to light in the book. I'm all for talking about social problems and helping your characters work through something like that. But this poor character had to go through eating disorders, mental health problems, sexual assault, domestic problems, suicidal tendencies, bullying…do you catch my drift? I understand that there are people that do have multiple problems arise for them to battle throughout their life. But it was way too much for this book. Like I said, about halfway through I thought it was a pretty adequate book that just needed to be wrapped up, but the conflicts just kept coming. I say all of that to ask the question: how much is too much? I think for me, it depends on what kind of book it is. I need details about the world in a fantasy novel. I want details about social issues and how that's affecting a character's life in a contemporary. I want to know what goes through a character's mind when they're falling in love. I want enough backstory to know why a character is having so much conflict in this one area.
But I don't want the whole life story. I do want some mystery and things I have to decipher or infer for myself. How about you?
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why i picked itI started watching the TV show based on Lev Grossman's Magicians series and I loved it. I binged a lot of it on Netflix. So I thought I'd add it to my TBR. When it was available on Libby a while ago, I thought I'd check it out and see how it compared to the show! summaryQuentin Coldwater has always been different. He's been a geek and obsessed with a children's book series, but one day he finds out that the magic he's always admired in books isn't as fictional as he originally thought. He gets admitted into a prestigious school for magic, meets a few friends, and goes on some crazy adventures. Soon, he even learns that the world he used to read about is actually real, though it is much different than it was described to be. He and his friends have to learn to work together and use their skills to bring peace back to a world that is in peril. what i likedAnother great world hidden in New York. I liked how similar it was to the TV show (or how similar they made the show to the books). It made it easy for me to follow along with the audiobook since I typically don't like listening to fantasy books because it's harder for me to get into the world than reading them. I was able to feel like I was at Breakbills with the students. I also loved the characters. Quentin started out so awkward, and ended up really finding himself and his confidence throughout the book. Alice is so sweet, but she grows and becomes more confident herself. The other Physical Magic students are so unique and funny, and they taught Quentin a lot about life and living. what i didn't likeFirst off, this book was a lot more crass than I was expecting. The show is inappropriate many times, but I felt like it was done slightly more…tasteful(?) if that's the right way to say it? Probably because it's on public television for more eyes to see, but still. I was caught off guard by some of the things said and done in the book. Another thing I didn't like was that it was SO DANG LONG. The audiobook was like 17+ hours, which is just so long. And there is wayyyyy too much shoved in this one book. It could have EASILY been split into at least 2 or 3 books in the series, but instead there was a lot happening. You see Quentin from the end of high school all the way through 4 years at Breakbills, and then a continued few years after that. Lately I've read a few books that tend to cover this large amount of time in one book, and I think it's becoming one of the worst types of books I read. There's just too much to cover, and the book could have been wrapped up so much sooner. It could have been split up more, or it could have just been condensed down. I don't know. It's just something that I've noticed in this book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and She's Come Undone. I'm not a fan. overall impression 🌟🌟🌟🌟So, the book was pretty good. I did like the storyline, and I really liked the world. I just wish that the characters were a little more lovable at times, and I wanted more books instead of one majorly long one.
Why i picked itAnother book I wanted to read for the NEWTs Readathon, I skimmed through this resource book before returning it to the library. I love succulents and have a mini garden of them in my window at the apartment (and by mini, I mean I have a good 15+ little planters and flower pots with a variety of succulents in each one). I wanted to learn more about my succulents and get some new ideas for projects to do with them. summaryThis book went through how to choose plants, design landscapes, and create other DIY projects with succulents. There isn't much more to say about it… what i likedI think it was really interesting to read about all of the different ways to use succulents, many of which I never thought about before. It was also cool to see a ton of landscapes and projects that used succulent plants to create a beautiful scene with them. It also went through specific plants and the pros and cons to using those plants in a project. You could learn about how to layer certain plants, which plants worked well with others, and how to create a new space for yourself just by adding succulents. The photos were also wonderful. They took some great pictures to showcase all of the different projects throughout the book. It was easy to see why people would want to use succulents so much! They can be absolutely gorgeous!! what i didn't likeThe book was focused on bigger projects than I originally thought. Living in an apartment, I wanted to learn more about my plants that I have, how I can create cute little DIY projects and fairy gardens and such. But the book was focused on full-on landscapes and bigger projects. The plants it talked about were not the same kinds of succulents that I grow, so I wasn't able to learn as much as I wanted to. I ended up skimming a lot of the book and just looking at photos because most of what I saw and read wasn't applying to me. overall impression 🌟🌟🌟🌟It was honestly a good book, but it just didn't meet my expectations. Because of that, I give it a 4/5 stars. At first I was going to give it 3/5, but honestly the biggest reason I wasn't a fan was because I had much different expectations for it. I probably should have looked at the book a little more before checking it out, but I didn't realize it would focus on such big projects. Maybe someday when I have a home and landscaping to do, I'll revisit the book and find some great projects to do!
Why i picked itBack in August when I wanted to participate in the NEWTs Readathon, Speak was going to be the graphic novel I read to fulfill one of my NEWTs requirements. But then I didn't get around to actually participating like I wanted to. So I still read the book anyway before returning it to the library (just outside of the Readathon time period). I took it with me on a short weekend trip to watch my brother-in-law run at his first college cross country meet, and I'm glad I did! SummaryMelinda is a teen with a list of the first ten lies that people tell you when you get into high school. One of them is "Speak up for yourself, because we want to know what you have to say." Throughout the book, Melinda battles with a traumatic event that happened to her over the summer, losing friends as a result, and trying to deal with all of her emotions on her own because she just knows no one wants to hear what she has to say. Facing her demons every day at school, it gets harder and harder to show up, so she starts fading away with few people taking notice. what i likedThe illustrations were amazing. The graphics and pictures were easy to follow, and they were complex to show Melinda's emotions without being confusing. The book brought up a huge problem in our current society with victim stigmas, mental illness, and how to deal with trauma. I liked that it brought these items forward without overdoing it, and I liked that I could relate to the character of Melinda and some of the people in her life. I also like that the book hid what actually happened since Melinda was hiding it from those around her. As she started dealing more and more with what happened, we got to learn about it as well. I thought that was interesting, because there were undertones of the event, but I couldn't be completely sure until a third or more into the story. what i didn't likeThough the illustrations weren't too confusing, sometimes the transition between chapters was. It was so sudden without a good cut to the new scene, and the transitions weren't all smooth. But really, that was about the only complaint I had about this book! Overall impression 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟I really enjoyed Speak. It pulled at my heartstrings and made me think about trauma and mental illness in a new way. I think it did a good job showcasing some of the warning signs of people in your life that may be suppressing traumatic memories, and I feel like I learned a little bit from this novel.
Why I pIcked ItI tried to read City of Ember a while back (read- early college years), and just couldn't get into it. I don't know what it was at the time, but it just couldn't catch and hold my interest. But recently I saw it available on my Libby app, and my husband recommended I try to read it again so I checked it out and listened to the audiobook! SummaryThe City of Ember is running low on supplies. They've been able to survive generations on what they have, but the blackouts in the city are becoming more frequent and have been staying dark longer, and there are rumors that the stock of food and other goods are running out. Corruption is spreading, but no one knows what to do. Soon, Lina and Doon, children of the city, find fragments of an ancient text that sound like directions on how to leave and survive outside of the city. So the two of them go on a mission to decipher the text and find out what is outside of the city. What I likedI think the storyline was extremely intriguing. I like the thought of a civilization that had to go underground and then loses the directions on when and how to leave again. I also think that the world and the occupations were great. I was able to get immersed into the world pretty easily, and I thought that it was interesting to read about the ins and outs of city politics and daily life. I also enjoyed the relationship built between Lina and Doon. They didn't start out as friends, but by the end they were relying on each other for a lot. And there didn't have to be a romance, which was nice, too. What I didn't LikeOnce again, I couldn't really get into the book. Yes, I thought it was intriguing, and yes, I liked some of the aspects of the world like listed above, but even though I liked it, I didn't mind when I spaced when listening to the book or when I listened to it at night and fell asleep before the sleep timer turned off. There were times I just kept listening from wherever it was stopped, and I didn't bother to go back and figure out what I had missed. Similar to All We Have is Now, I would rather read a book where I feel the need to go back and re-listen to the parts I missed. Overall Impression 🌟🌟🌟Obviously I didn't get as into the book as I would have hoped. There were some major pros, and by the end I was getting more intrigued, but there were probably some important details throughout the book that I missed out on because I just wasn't as interested as I should have been. Good book, but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not.
Why I Picked itThunderhead is the second book in the Arc of a Scythe series. I really enjoyed the first book by Neil Shusterman, and I was excited to immediately move on to the second one! (Now I'm just waiting *im*patiently on the third…). SummaryThunderhead follows the same characters as in Scythe as more tensions rise in Scythedom politics. One of the rules in the Scythedom is that the Thunderhead does not interfere. However, the Thunderhead knows that the Scythedom is falling apart and wants to help, so it tries to find a few small loopholes. At the same time, as the tensions rise and politics are splitting the Scythedom into factions, no one knows what the future of their world is going to be. There's a vigilante Scythe on the loose, Scythes are being killed, and no one can agree on a solution. What I likedOnce again, Neil Shusterman did a great job in this AMAZING world with such real tensions and characters. The book was intriguing, the characters went through a lot of strife and development throughout, and it made me so ready to move onto the next book (that unfortunately wasn't quite out at the time. I still need to check to see if it's in the library yet…). There was a continuation of the stories of all of the main characters from Scythe. Though each person is on their own path, it's great to see them cross again and work together. In the political world of the Scythedom, there was a lot of strife and change happening, and it was interesting to read the different views and feel like that divide was actually happening. With all sorts of strife and uprising happening, I wasn't sure all throughout the book what was going to happen. And again, Shusterman was amazing at putting in these plot twists that caught me by surprise! I love when an author is able to do that, and Shusterman is one of the better ones I've read. The world is so developed and far enough in the future with major technical advances that some things that in other books would have been far-fetched were actually plausible in the world that Shusterman has created! What I didn't likeThere was not a lot that I didn't like, honestly. It's hard to put my finger on anything specific! overall impression 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟I loved this book more than the first one! I'm so involved in the world that Shusterman created, and I love reading about all of the Scythedom and the politics and the lives of the characters.
Hello, bookish friends! On this Fun Friday, I'm bringing to you a list of my favs, specifically my favorite Booktubers! So, I was a little late to the game when it comes to Booktube. I started this blog last year (I can't believe I've been *almost* consistently posting for over a year now…), then got into the Bookstagram community, and then toward the beginning of this year/end of last year, I discovered the Booktube community. I'm not even sure how I found it, to be honest. I just kind of stumbled on some videos and fell in love with a few Booktubers! So now, if you're like me and didn't get into the Booktube community right away but would like some suggestions on who to watch (or you just want to compare favorites), please enjoy! @JessethereaderJesse is the one who got me into the community. He's the one who has content that I just OBSESS over, and I was addicted from the start. I have now watched SO MANY of his videos, spanning for as long as he's been a creator. What I love about Jesse is that his videos are fun, clean, and drama-free (note: I did say drama free, but that doesn't mean they aren't dramatic). His editing really just helps the dramatics that he does, and makes it all so fun and entertaining! I never get bored watching Jesse's videos. Another thing I love is that Jesse and I have similar tastes and pet peeves, so his book recommendations are typically on point for me. Plus, he comes up with great ideas like Monday Manga Book Club and Bookstorm, which are so unique and fun to watch too! (He's the reason I started reading and watching some manga.) Lastly (though, there are so many great things to say about Jesse), he also does some great and fun collaboration videos with other awesome Booktubers. I strongly recommend taking a look at his channel! @PeruseProjectOMG I LOVE REGAN! She and I are very similar people from what I can tell, and I absolutely love to watch her videos, particularly her Reading Vlogs (I've binged wayyyyy too much of them…). Regan is just very down-to-earth, and she is simple in her videos. I love that I can learn about the activities she does throughout her weekends as well as what she's reading. Also featured in her videos are her adorable pup Matilda and her boyfriend Clay. They make the videos fun too. @ZoeeReads@JessetheReader recommended Zoe on Twitter one day, so I checked out her videos and learned that if Regan and I are similar people, Zoee and I are the same person. Even our significant others have similar careers! Zoe is another down-to-earth and genuine vlogger, and I have fun seeing her kitties on screen and learning more about the books she reads. @BooksandLaLaLala is hilarious. If you need some comedy in your day, I recommend her videos! Once in a while she does a "Books/Twitter/Instagram/my followers decide my weekend" or something similar. Those videos are funny because she goes ALL IN (she even bought a new car because "her books said so" - though she also needed a new car anyway). Lala also just doesn't listen to haters in the comments and doesn't let them bother her or control what she does in her videos. She's also adorable and unique. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about her when I first came across some of her videos, but then I found that I just couldn't stop watching them! @Hailey in BooklandHailey is fun to watch too. She has some great editing skills, and she's super funny. I don't watch as many of her videos like I do of others, but I love throwing one in once in a while. I like her book recommendations and her writing vlogs. They're fun, and she has some great ideas! Who are some of your favorite booktubers?? I'd love to get some more on my list to watch! Leave your suggestionsin the comments below!Review: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child (Playscript) by Jk Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne10/9/2019 Why I Picked ItHonestly, I'm not sure how it took me so long to pick up this one… I'm a Harry Potter nerd, ever since about my eighth birthday when my sister bought be the first two books and my mom read them to me every night. So, you can say I was able to grow up with Harry, and I just became obsessed. Corgan got me the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Playscript for Christmas. I knew it would be a quick read, but I also had heard so many mixed reviews and I was scared I was really not going to like it. SummaryThis book follows Albus Potter, Harry's son, through his years at Hogwarts. Ever since day one when he gets sorted into a house he was not expecting, he is considered an outcast. His classmates and even his family push him away and expect him to be something he isn't. This pushes him to rebel and a series of events follow where not only Albus is in danger, but he endangers the entire wizarding world. What I LikedSo, I did enjoy hearing more about the beloved Harry Potter characters and who they've turned into as they became adults. It was also an intriguing and plausible storyline. It's fairly common that children of prominent people rebel like crazy, especially when their personalities are the opposite of their families and when there are high expectations on them. I liked seeing the reactions both on Albus' side as well as Harry's. There's an interesting dynamic that we get to see between Harry and Ginny. I like getting a glimpse (spoiler if you haven't read HP7) into their marriage and how each of them react to Albus and him closing himself off from them and the rest of the family. There is also an interesting relationship between Albus and Scorpius Malfoy (Draco's son). It's a relationship that kept me on my toes all the way through. Sometimes I felt like I was reading too far into the relationship, and other times I was positive that there were undertones there that I would have loved to see acted out on stage. What I Didn't LikeIt moved so fast. I can't imagine actually seeing the play. It goes from year to year so quickly, and I think it would be hard to follow. And I just wish there was more. I like detail, and so much of this story is just an overarching theme over a few years, so I wish there would be some more for me to read and learn about. More experiences that help shape Albus would be great. With that, there could have been so much more character development had there been more to the story. Given, I also understand that it is a playscript, so it couldn't be too long. Overall Impression 🌟🌟🌟🌟I give this book a 4/5 stars, because it was decent. I would read it again. I didn't think it was nearly as disappointing as a lot of Harry Potter fans said it was. Overall, I did enjoy it and think it was a good new and current installment into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Now, I just wish that I could see the actual play!!!!
Why I Picked ItI wanted a short audiobook that I could get through pretty quickly. I've been slacking on my reading…almost in a bit of a slump…so I wanted something that would move fast. What better than a book that happens within 24 hours? SummaryHow would you spend your last 24 hours on Earth? An asteroid is on its way toward the U.S. and Emerson and Vince have to answer that exact question before time is up. Neither one of them have a very good life to begin with, as both have been out on the streets for years. The city has become quiet since most people have left and tried to run from the inevitable collision. Vince and Emerson decide they'd like to end their time on Earth on their terms until they run into a man who "grants a wish" and then challenges them to go do the same for others. They then set out on a mission to help others around the town and ultimately make more than 3 people very happy by the time the 24 hours are over. What I likedThis was definitely what I was looking for. It was a great, quick read/listen that moved fast and made sense, even when I didn't pay attention for a few minutes at a time (oops). I liked the character development throughout. Emerson definitely comes a long way, even if she doesn't seem like she's going to in the beginning. Another cool thing was how intertwined all of the characters are. It doesn't all come together until the end, but throughout, as you add characters into the picture, they become intertwined with one another and the storylines all wove together. I enjoy when multiple storylines come together in the end, when acquaintances end up becoming good friends because of shared experience. What I didn't LikeThere was an interesting relationship between Emerson and Vince. Vince wants it to be more than friends, but Emerson is very much wanting to just be friends, so Vince respects that. She does tend to change her mind a couple of times throughout the book, though, and that can be irritating. Not all girls, even teen girls, are hot and cold on relationships/friend-zoning their guy friends. Maybe Emerson was one, but it's just a trope that I'm not a fan of. And though the book was fast, it didn't keep my attention all the way through. It was nice to "skim" (translation: listen to at a very high speed) this book and be able to still understand it, but even when I missed bits and pieces, I didn't have enough interest in the book to feel the need to go back like I do with other books and tv shows that I start spacing on. That's not such a good thing. I also felt that this book was very predictable. I could see where the relationships were going, I could see how the story was intertwined, and I kind of had a feeling of how it would end by about halfway through. I will give Schroeder props that I did second guess myself a few times, but overall I was still right in my predictions. Overall Impression 🌟🌟🌟3/5 stars. It was a very average read in my opinion. This could be because I'm seeing that I now have a trend of rating a lot of YA Contemporaries around a 3, so maybe it's just that I've grown out of some of the YA Contemporary tropes/romance. It was enjoyable, but I will likely never read it again. It's not a book I feel I need on my bookshelf.
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AuthorJust sharing my passion of reading through my passion of writing. Archives
May 2020
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