Saturday, August 29, 2020

Review: Legendborn

Legendborn (Legendborn, #1)Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for approving an ARC copy of this for me!

This comes out on September the 15th, so check it out if you are interested!

~*~*~

I had a *lot* of fun reading this book and I recommend that people give it a shot :D

I will be honest and say that at first this book got off to a rough start for me, mostly because we’re thrown right into the story with a grieving Bree and we’re learning at the same time that she does. An author has to be careful to introduce this the right way, and there were times when I was a bit confused as to what was going on or trying to wrap my head around things.

However in spite of this rocky beginning, the book really builds upon itself and constructs a fascinating world that’s based on famous legends but brings its own unique twist to it. What I really loved about this book is that this take is truly interesting on its own merit, it’s not just relying on the strength of the legend to carry the book and capture our attention and keep it. Retellings abound in fantasy and I love it when we get one that is well constructed and the author truly has their own voice and breathes new life into it. The familiar is there, but so is new stuff to be intrigued by!

Bree as a character is someone who I could instantly sympathize with. She’s lost her mother and she has so much rage and pain inside her, and a desire to do something that will somehow make up for her mother’s death. This sometimes means that her choices aren’t the best, but they’re still understandable and relatable. She's human and she's a teenager who has lost her mother, who happens to be dealing with some pretty crazy and weird stuff going on. She has her faults but she is also strong in a lot of ways and well rounded, which I really enjoyed.

This book also takes racism by the horns and I appreciated that. It’s not the forefront of the story but it is woven through it because it reflects how things actually are here and now for girls like Bree and POC in general. There may be all sorts of supernatural things in this book but she still lives in our world, and deals with our reality. And oh, I loved how strong Bree was and how she didn’t take shit from anyone. She’s not afraid to speak up for herself, and that bravery extends from calling out racist behaviour to fighting off creatures trying to kill her.

Some of the other characters fell a lot short for me (the best friend is kind of shitty, and we have the usual trope of 'all the guys are gorgeous', but nothing too bad. The cast is diverse and I'm looking forward to learning more!

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Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Review: Educated

EducatedEducated by Tara Westover
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm.

I find it so difficult when non-fiction that's an autobiography doesn't really connect with me, because it's someone's story, you know?

I didn't dislike this book, I think it's just a case of me expecting it to hit harder than it did for me, personally. I also feel that this book is more-so a tale of an escape from physical and mental abuse than it is about Tara's escape or her 'education' as a child.

I think the novel would have benefited from more about her continuing education after she left home, too, because the ending seemed rather abrupt, but perhaps the nature of Tara's own story itself - that there is no satisfactory ending, no wrapping endings up. It just is, without the neatness that we instinctively want and expect.

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Friday, August 14, 2020

Review: The Calculating Stars

The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1)The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fun read!

First of all, it starts off with a startling and intriguing first line, and the beginning of it does a good job at drawing you in with the action keeping you turning the pages.

This is a good way to do it, because after the breathlessness of the first bit, it does slow down just a tad, but not enough that my interest lagged. Alternative history can be tricky because it can be difficult to make it compelling and not just leave the reader going 'no, this doesn't make sense', but I didn't really find myself struggling to believe the historical events and how things were taking place.

I struggled a little bit with the acceptance presented in the books, both in terms of Elma's relationship with her husband on a feminist slant, and also the look at racial relations at the time. I *so* appreciate the feminist take and the attempt to make Elma a character who was more aware of the wrongs at the time - I'm just not sure how believable it is, and I can see how it might bother some people. To me it doesn't really tarnish the overall thrust or accomplishment of the book, but I'm just one person.

I would have liked to see more development of some of the background characters other than the antagonist, but by and large Elena is interesting enough and the plot fascinating enough that I was willing to overlook this. The book did remind me a little of a couple of disaster movies, but given the unique take presented here, it makes for some intriguing evaluations of the 'happy ending' presented in some and how accurate they were.

The thing that I liked most about this book, though, is that it's *smart*. It's about smart women and smart men working really hard to save our planet, and I really enjoyed that! I'm eager to pick up the next one.

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Tuesday, August 4, 2020

July Recap!

Hello August!!

...how insane is that? I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be August, to be honest. This year seems to be both flying by and dragging, and whole years seem to pass in the span of a month with everything that happens. Our world is pretty crazy right now and over the last month I really turned to books as a sanctuary and distraction.

So what does that mean?

Well, it means that I did the following:

1. Finished 'Blueprint for Armageddon', Dan Carlin's awesome series on WWI.
2. Read two short stories
3. Read sixteen(!) books


The two short stories I read were Juice Like Wounds  by Seanan McGuire, and The Haunting Of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark.

I'll just quickly note here that 'The Golden Road' shouldn't really be in this picture. 'IT' I also finished yesterday, so I'm not counting it (ha) in July.

Highlights of the month were The Library Of The Unwritten by A. J Hackwith, The Monster Of Florence by Douglas Preston, The Boy From The Woods by Harlan Coben and Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. So fantasy, non-fiction, mystery and non-fiction. A nice mix, I'd say!

Overall it was a pretty strong month, I'd say, if also fairly eclectic.

Going into August, I'm hoping to read more fantasy novels, though currently I'm reading The Outsider by Stephen King and well, not so sure that counts! But there's still a lot of August left.

I hope all of you had a great reading month in July and hope you have great books ahead of you for August!

Review: IT by Stephen King

ItIt by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars.

I remember reading this years ago, as a teenager, and occasionally I've thought of it - IT - again.

Of course, in part that's because Pennywise has become embedded in society's subconscious, in a way - a lot of people's fear of clowns would trace back to this book, I'm sure.

I decided to listen to the audiobook for this one because it was so highly rated, and I can see why. Derry really comes *alive* in listening to this, in a way that I don't think it would have had I just reread it plainly. Steven Weber did an absolutely phenomenal job and really added to the experience.

For me, this book really transcended the 'horror' genre. It's not 'just' horror, and I don't say that to denigrate horror, as it's one of my favourite genres and I think so much can be done within it. King has obviously built a work of art within the horror genre, here, but he's also done more than that. I say that because it really encompassed so much more than that. 'IT' is an examination of bullying, of 1950's American society, of racism and sexism and domestic violence, of relationships, of what it's like to grow up with parental abuse that isn't physical but is abuse nonetheless. And the monsters on these pages aren't always 'IT' - instead they're people just like you and me, people with evil within them.

'IT' is a book that is downright horrifying at times and creepy, but also - for me - incredibly moving, too. Towards the end I found myself on the verge of tears, because the book isn't just about horror and gore and that terror that wakes you in the middle of the night in sweaty and tangled bedsheets, it's also about friendship and bravery and love, a very powerful love. It's about the magic of childhood and why all of us love those movies so much, movies like Stand By Me and Now and Then and so many others. There's power in the magic of childhood, the memories that have a soft haze over them.

This probably would have been a five star book for me if not for the one scene towards the end. Even on a reread as an adult I'm not quite sure why King included it, though 'desire' seems to be a very important theme for him in this book. I have a ton of respect for King, but it still doesn't really work for me and detracted a bit from the story arc, imo. Perhaps he intended it to be a scene where Beverly reclaims her power and agency, but it still felt unnecessary.

All the same, this book has lodged itself on the list of favourites, for me. I can tell because there's part of me that wants to start reading it all over again.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Reading Rush Recap

I just realized that I never did update on how The Reading Rush went for me!

So, basically I succeeded in reading two books:

1. The Secret Garden (this was a reread, and was for the challenge of reading a book set on a different continent)
2. The Book Thief (this was not a reread, and was for the challenge of reading a book with 'the' in the title).

Actually, I may have the challenges flipped, but you get the idea!

Reading The Secret Garden was really quite a nostalgic feeling, I was reminded quite strongly of why I enjoyed the book so much. It's not without its issues - racism is pretty blatant - but not unexpected for the time period that it was written in.

I also just really enjoyed the childlike wonder that was communicated through the pages, the joy and the appreciation of nature and the world in general.

The Book Thief was sadly not as good an experience. I kept waiting to be swept away by it (I posted the review earlier) and just wasn't. This was particularly disappointing for me because so many people gave this book glowing reviews, including a good friend of mine, and then my reaction was just 'meh'.

Ah well. There are always more books waiting to be read! I look forward to the next Reading Rush and hope it'll be sometime when I have more time to read.

Review: The Haunting Of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill HouseThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmm. This is one of those books where I find myself wondering what it would have been like to read it in 1959, before the advent of modern horror in both books and film.

I enjoyed this book, but I can't help but think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen the movie based on it (which gave me an idea of where the story was going) and didn't have that experience with other horror books.

All the same, though, the writing is quite enjoyable and I do appreciate seeing the roots of the horror genre as it stands today.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Review: The Book Thief

The Book ThiefThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sigh.

This was... ok, I guess? Not a great start for the Reading Rush :(

So first thing about this book, I've tried to read it two, maybe three times? And I've always struggled to get into it. When I switched to the audiobook I was able to finish it, but I have to say that I'm finding myself wondering if I should have taken that as a sign it wasn't going to be an exceptional book for me.

I really wanted to love this book but the truth is, it was just okay. I kept waiting to be struck by all the emotion and revelations that other people apparently had it but it just didn't happen. Maybe it's because I've read some great books like Code Name Verity and Winter Garden and The Alice Network and so I just wasn't blown away by this particular book.

I also didn't connect to the characters as much as I would have liked, other than Max. Max = <3 Yeah. Unfortunately not enough of that here. It's odd because when I sit and think about it, I can pinpoint moments in the book that would strike one as quite moving, and yet I just wasn't really feeling it. I'd been hoping that listening to the book as an audiobook would help me engage with the book more but it seems it didn't.

Part of it was due to some things that just sort of...threw me. Like the way the characters casually insulted and swore at each other all the time. It made me think of modern day Australia and tbh I really have no idea if that was common in the 1940's? Maybe it was, I don't know, but it didn't really do anything for me and didn't add anything to the story as far as I can tell. And I'm not some prude about swearing, it just got to be too much after awhile. It made me wonder if to the author this is some sort of way of expressing affection.

The book also felt way too long. Like at one point I looked at how much of the book I had left and I found myself wondering how it could possibly go on that long! Never a good sign when you think that... To be honest I feel as though a good chunk of the book could have been cut out in favour of focusing on the actual events of the plot and it would have been much tighter, would have given the book a sense of urgency and action, and probably would have been more compelling, too. I think the author was focusing on the development of the characters and development of the atmosphere, but when it's not working for you, it ends up feeling like an eternity.

Perhaps I'll watch the movie at some point because I feel as though it might lend itself quite well to that sort of format.

I'm really disappointed that I didn't love this one as much as other people, but that's just the way it is sometimes, I suppose. Perhaps it's a sign that I need to take a break from WWII literature for awhile.

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Sunday, July 19, 2020

Review: The Boy From The Woods

The Boy from the WoodsThe Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars for this one.

Wow. Just imagine me whistling, here, because this one kept me guessing up until the last minute.

I see some complaints and comparisons to Coben's other books, but this is the first book that I've read by him so I have nothing to compare it to! I'm a bit glad if it means that I would enjoy this one less.

Take a bit of romance, add a dash of political intrigue, some good ol' 'whodunnit' and mystery and you have 'The Boy From The Woods'.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that what you think you're getting into when you start the book is not at all the case. The plot takes many twists and turns along the way and builds on itself, and one thing I liked about it is that just when you *think* it's all wrapped up, it turns out that it isn't. There's a good dash of reflection on our society as it is today and American politics, and I enjoyed that without it being too ham-handed or condescending.

I will say that there was a point in the book where I rolled my eyes a bit at a touch of exposition, which is why this isn't a five star read to me. I know it's partly because Coben wanted to keep us guessing, but I think the book would have benefited if he'd taken his time to think of a way to do that without having certain things that one of the main characters did concealed from us.

I quite enjoyed the characters, here. You could probably say that Wilde is a bit of a cliché, and I'd agree with that, but sometimes clichés are loveable and enjoyable anyway, and I found that to be the case here. Give me a moody boy with a bit of a tortured past and I'm definitely there, I guess you could say! I'm invested, now, and definitely open if it turns out that this book will have a sequel. The 'tropeish' parts were ones that I could overlook as they didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book, and I found myself invested in him.

I also found myself invested in Hester, the irascible lawyer. She's all prickles and snark and wit, which I love, but she's also got a past and a history, which I also love.

Beyond these two there's also a cast of characters that are interested and nuanced in and of themselves. What the reader thinks of any one person throughout the book isn't necessarily the case, and it's interesting to see the hidden motives (dark ulterior ones and otherwise) put on display as the book comes to a close.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this, really. Definitely going to check out more of Coben's books!

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Thursday, July 16, 2020

Reading Rush? Hmm...

I follow Zoe (Read by Zoe) on Youtube today and she caught my attention when she was talking about the Reading Rush!

Oh, I can't help but wish that this was last week! I had some time off and it was a great time to catch up on some of my reading (I'm not quite as far behind on my reading goals as I was). However, now I'm back to a normal schedule and so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to participate.

The Reading Rush Book Club will be reading the following!


I've heard a lot about this book this year and I am interested to read it, I am going to set a reminder for myself to try and dip into it next week!

In addition there are challenges:

1/ Read a book with a cover that matches the colour of your birth stone.
2/ Read a book that starts with the word “The”.
3/ Read a book that inspired a movie you’ve already seen.
4/ Read the first book you touch.
5/ Read a book completely outside of your house.
6/ Read a book in a genre that you’ve always wanted to read more of.
7/ Read a book that takes place on a different continent than where you live.

To be honest I don't think I'll be able to get to many (if any!) of these, but I might try to do these before the end of the year... We will see!

At any rate, it's such a fun idea so if you can participate you should! I would be stoked to dive in if I didn't have to work during the day.