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Wednesday 19 October 2016

One Person's Craziness (R.T. Ojas)

It's been a while but I really am trying to get back to posting. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I had mentioned my lack of time for reading due to returning to school and being in a reader's block mindset. It's been a while since I picked up a book of my choosing (with the exception of Cursed Child) and I think it's effecting my enthusiasm unfortunately. Despite that, I will continue to slowly work through the novels that have been sent to me before taking a break from author-requested reviews. Without further ado, here's a new review!

One Person's Craziness by R.T. Ojas is a science fiction novella about Amoli and his unusual history. Amoli grew up on an isolated island among the Sarato people, where no one ever left the island's edges to the potential beyond the waves. During the annual Mazota festival, a strange event occurred that changed that: everyone disappeared except Amoli and his brother... or so they thought. The novella describes the events thereafter through the police investigative interview of which ends on quite a twist. Is Amoli crazy for thinking these events occurred or is the detective the one with the mind in make believe?


I read this novella during my co-op work placement this summer and I'd like the thank the author for providing me with something to help pass the time at work. The story was written quite well and the plot was definitely thought out. I loved the characters that Ojas created because each one had a different outlook on the mysterious events happening on their island. As the novella progressed, I'll admit that it made a turn in a direction that I did not expect and am still unsure as to whether I liked it or not. Minor spoiler: aliens. Now, I've watched movies with them and read other novels with them, but I'm truly not a huge fan of them. With that in mind, I guess you could say my opinion is slightly skewed towards a negative viewpoint; however, the novella did hold my attention.

Rating: 2.5/5
Reason: The writing was solid and the characters were believable; however, the plot ending is not something I can say made me dive into the novella even more.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting author-promoted requests.

A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Monday 1 August 2016

HP and the Cursed Child (JK Rowling)

I'm back so soon with another review because yesterday was a big day in the book community: we have an eighth Harry Potter story to read and love as much as the others! I originally had not planned to go out and buy the book on release day, but I happened to be in the right place at the right time so I couldn't pass by without grabbing a copy. Shout out to Cole's for giving away special Harry Potter book bags with the purchase of the book because I am in love with the bag. As a final note before the review, I will say this: I am a huge Harry Potter fan so you may think I'm bias (which is possible) but I am trying to write this review as objectively as I can for you readers. Now on with the review!


Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a novel composed of the script from the West End stage play written by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. Since this is Harry Potter, and I know I wouldn't have wanted any spoilers if I didn't have the book, I'm not going to provide much of a synopsis. What I will say is that the script begins where the epilogue of the original series leaves off. You are immediately thrown into Kings Cross station and then into Platform 9 3/4 where you get to follow Albus as he journeys to Hogwarts for the first time. Since this is a story of the next generation, the focus is on Albus and his friend Scorpius, who both manage to find themselves in some trouble.


The writing style is different so I will preface my review by reminding you guys that the book doesn't read as a regular novel. Since the entirety of the story is explained through dialogue, with minimal descriptors presented as stage directions, you don't necessarily get the full "Hogwarts experience" as with the main series. This concept was difficult in the first couple scenes as I had to adjust my way of reading to recognize the dynamic of the conversation so that I didn't have to read the name of who was talking; however, it soon started to read as a normal book once you get past that small detail.

The plot is definitely something I would never have come up with on my own and it's definitely better than anything I had thought or predicted for the epilogue. I will say that the first quarter of the book feels slightly rushed since we see snippets of Albus' first few years at Hogwarts. With that said, I do recognize that this is a play and those productions have time constraints; there would be no way to include stories of each year without writing another 7 book series. Another exciting thing about the plot is that JK Rowling addressed some of the questions that I've had for years. I know a lot of people had questions about the Time Turners and why they were not used more extensively to "fix" certain events. For those of you that had wondered that, definitely read Cursed Child for some more insight.

The characters made me so happy because you have the old ones you know and love mixed in with the new ones you grow to love quite quickly. Since the plot is quite fast paced, you don't gain as much character development as we did with the original series; however, as mentioned before, certain things are incomparable because you have a West End play versus a 7 book series. One thing I will say is that the dynamic between Albus and Scorpius, as well as their relationships to their respective fathers, is familiar and new all at the same time. I loved the chemistry that exists there and how easy it is to cheer them on in their adventures.


Rating: 4.5/5
Reason: It's Harry Potter and I loved revisiting the Wizarding World, but the script means the story lacks descriptors and a more flushed out story.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

Sunday 24 July 2016

In Vitro Lottery (Ed Ryder)

It has been quite some time since my last review and I am so sorry about that! As mentioned last time, I started a new co-op job which has become quite crazy in the last two weeks. I've been working a decent amount of overtime and the work has been physically demanding. What does that have to do with no reviews? It means I come home, shower, eat, and then fall asleep. But I have finished another book and I am back to tell you about it.

In Vitro Lottery by Ed Ryder is a science fiction novel about a world in which it costs to reproduce, after the Norwegian Death killed many people and a virus stopped natural reproduction. Now a company holds the fate of every family through the In Vitro Lottery. If your name is selected, you have the honour of receiving the treatment for free. However, when Kate wins the lottery, only to pass it to her sister Emily, something happens that makes her want to claim her prize and get close to the clinic head Victor Pearson. Why would she do that? Kate has some unfinished business she'd like to wrap up.


Now I started this book about halfway through June and I finished it last night. For me, that is a long time to spend on a single book; however, as mentioned above, I've been working and had little time to read. Despite that fact, I did find myself not wanting to pick up the book at times. Though the characters are written quite well, and the concept is something I definitely wanted to "wow" me, the plot line just didn't get there. I personally found the book to be choppy, jumping it's focus in a slightly confusing manner. The novel felt as though key elements had been written and then secondary elements were created later to fill in the gaps. Of course, this is a personal opinion, but I did struggle to become immersed into the book when the plot changed courses more times than necessary.

I will add, however, that the concept for the book was definitely strong and I loved the idea of it. The last 30 - 40 pages grabbed my attention and held onto it. I just wish the rest of the book had of been similar in style and pace.

Rating: 2/5
Reason: Amazing concept and characters. Lack of a mono-directional plot.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!
 
A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Friday 17 June 2016

Stake Out (Lily Luchesi)

Hello everyone and I hope you've been enjoying the month of June so far; I know I've been! I started my new co-op job last week and it's been quite interesting. I've been working outside almost every day for 8 hours, which is way more time than I would usually spend. But one good thing comes from being in the heat all day: being tired in the evening and curling up with a good book.

Stake Out by Lily Luchesi is a paranormal mystery novel that follows detective Danny Mancini as he tries to catch the murderer of the case he's been working on. But this case turns out to be quite unusual when the man he's chasing has been playing this game for 200 years: the guy is a vampire. With this revelation, Danny teams up with FBI agent Angelica Cross, from a secret paranormal division, to take this vampire down. But is there more to this case than meets the eye and what is it about Angelica that sparks something in Danny?


I read Stake Out fairly quickly and it was a pretty decent novel. It's the first in a selection of "Paranormal Detective" novels by Lily Luchesi. I've never really been drawn into the paranormal - mystery crossover genre before so this was a pretty good book to start with. The two elements were cohesive and didn't seem to be too extreme to the point of clashing. The plot was easy to follow but at times felt a little too predictable for a mystery novel; I think without the paranormal element, this book would have fallen quite low on the scale for me.

The characters were well written, but at times I wished the surface would have been scratched a little deeper; I didn't quite connect as much as I hoped I would. They were very stereotypical characters and almost always acted as I expected them to. I only wish that there was some more spunk or spontaneity to them. Overall, it was a good, light read which can be perfect for a low-key evening.

Rating: 3.5/5
Reason: It was a cohesive story that just lacked some more punch.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Rebellion Project (Sara Schoen)

Welcome to an extra special review! It's almost the middle of the week, which isn't my normal posting day, but this is part of a book tour. I was provided an ARC of today's book through Rock Your World Promotions in exchange for an honest review, and hopefully to get some more readers hyped about the book which is out today!


The Rebellion Project by Sara Schoen is a YA fiction novel that follows Lauren Scott's journey to find the person she has always wanted to be, and what better time than high school to do just that! Lauren is the stereotyped "geek" who skipped a couple grades and always follows the rules, no matter the cost to her social stature. However, the name calling begins to rub her the wrong way, especially when she catches her father - the king of rules - breaking everything he tells her to do. With this revelation, Lauren turns to her best friend Parker who tells her to seek the help of the one person who knows how to break the rules and bring her from drool to cool: Kayden Daniels. But is fraternizing with the enemy a good idea, or does it have bad written all over it? Perhaps it could be both?


After reading this book in under two days I was left with only a few words: WOW, HOLY SMOKES, and AMAZING! It's been quite some time since I've read a YA fiction that wasn't science fiction or mystery and it made an incredible change. I don't even know where to start with this one, so I'm going to break it down a little bit:

Plot
There is definitely something for everyone in this and I have to say, I related to this more than I thought I would! There is romance, high school drama, rebellion (duh!), family values, heartache, and so much more. I definitely think most young readers will look at this plot and honestly say, "that's me" at some point.
Characters
It's funny how an author can create characters that each have a unique personality, but are recognizable in such a way that you can put someone you know into each one. The archetypes are familiar, yet also new. I fell in love with Kayden from the beginning and sometimes found myself internally shouting at my book for some of his stupidity. A+ work on characters!
Writing
This is the only part where the novel falters in my mind. I recognize I had an ARC but there were several typos or grammatical errors, which at times were distracting. That's just the type of reader I am. In addition, there were some passages of non-dialogue text that seemed to drag or become repetitive; it's hard to explain (perhaps personal taste?).

Overall, the book was pretty incredible and I definitely struggled to put it down to complete other things I needed to do in the day. To be honest, I didn't do too well with putting it down - I think I may have binged-read the novel. Good job Sara Schoen! As mentioned at the start, this review was part of a book tour so check out some of the other reviews.

Rating: 4.5/5
Reason: Both the plot and the characters were incredible! 

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Friday 27 May 2016

Visions Of My Heart (Garikai Nhongo)

Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to be back to posting reviews and I hope to be a little more consistent now that I have free time. This review is a little bit different because it's for poetry. You may recall when I reviewed The Great Repression last year, which was the first time I'd ever truly sat down and read a book of poems. So welcome to the second poetry book on this blog!

Vision Of My Heart: 101 Tales Told In Verse is a book of short poems by the author Garikai Nhongo. He reached out to me all the way back in February and kindly provided me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. The poems reflect the journey through love and heartbreak, as well as the overall journey of life.


When I first started the collection of poems, I did so with an open mind and tried to put my heart in the place of the author, since poetry is quite personal. Unfortunately, for me, I found it difficult to get through the poems for a few reasons. First, the poetry was done through rhyming verses which gave the pieces a lack of fluidity; some rhymes felt forced and others didn't rhyme correctly or at all. It made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the journey. Second, the poems began to feel oddly enough repetitive; I'm not sure why it felt that way to me, but it did.

For the sake of my honest review, I will let you know that I actually couldn't complete the book. It's rare for me to give up on a book because I understand the importance of the complete story and full picture. But, for the case of this book of poetry, I just didn't find that my heart was in it. Despite that, as I mention whenever I review something that didn't capture my interest, I always encourage you to give it a try since it may capture something in you.

Rating: 1/5
Reason: For me the rhyming held back the connection to the stories and at times were forced or not present. Also, I didn't finish the story so I can't rate it any higher.
 
Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!
 
A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Thursday 12 May 2016

In Real Life (Joey Graceffa)

It's May and the sun is shining! That makes me extremely happy because April was crazy with exams and trying to find a job for my co-op placement. Now that all of those responsibilities are done, and I've taken some time out for myself to regroup, I think I'm ready to exit the reading slump I've been in. Every term after exams, I'm left not wanting to read anything due to the fact that I just spent a month reading study notes. But I'm back, starting with a book I bought myself after Christmas!

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World by Joey Graceffa is an autobiography about his childhood, family, and transition into a full-time YouTube position. For those who aren't followers of Joey, I'll give you a brief description. Joey Graceffa joined YouTube back in 2007 with his friend Brittany, before beginning his own channel in 2009. Through the success of his channel, with over 6 million subscribers, Joey has achieved many great successes and experienced some pretty amazing things - one of which was being on The Amazing Race... twice!


Being a fan of Joey, ever since I started following his channel about 4 years ago, I was really excited to read his autobiography to get a deeper glimpse into the world he already shares. I was surprised by how many of his stories I didn't know yet despite watching his daily vlogs on YouTube. For those who watch his vlogs, you know that he is extremely bubbly and positive throughout most of his video time, which is why this book was a nice change. Having the opportunity to learn more about the hardships he went through in childhood, made me look up to Joey even more than I already did. Joey inspires me to strive for full positivity despite any weights that try to pull you down.

There is a section of photos that has some
incredible throwbacks for the Joey fans

In Real Life is a nice breath of fresh air to realign your perspective on things, especially for the younger readers who might be reading this review. If you are in high school or elementary school, Joey fan or not, I do recommend reading his autobiography because he gives some great advice! To Joey, if by some crazy chance he sees this, thank you for sharing more of your life with your viewers and the lessons you've learned along the way.

Rating: 4/5
Reason: For me I would give it a perfect. But, in terms of readership, if you aren't already a fan of Joey I fear that this would be lacking something. Also, I would say it's a very narrow audience in terms of age - I would recommend ages 12 - 24.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 
 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

Saturday 9 April 2016

Weeping Water (JT Ruby)

It's another month! Time really does fly when you're busy at university and heading into exams. Speaking of which, I finished my first one yesterday and only have 4 more to get through! While studying, it's always important to take breaks from the material and read something completely unrelated. My choice for that was the book I'm going to talk about today. The author of the book is actually from my hometown so I was extremely excited to read this one. Thank you JT Ruby for kindly providing me with a copy to review!

Work Hard - Read Harder
Weeping Waters is a science fiction novel that follows Elliot and Annie, as well as their respective families, as they face the reanimation process 35 years after death. CryoCore, a company with advancing technology, provides humans with a second chance at life by freezing the bodies until the proper medical treatment can be guaranteed; this is the fate Elliot and Annie's bodies face. Though they had separate tragedies and lives before CryoCore, their rehabilitation brings them together in an unusual love story. They both face the struggles of getting out of CryoCore and back to life, but will they be able to keep their new life together?


My initial reaction to this book was WOW. It was fast-paced when it needed to be and slower when necessary; it had the perfect balance. Falling in love with the characters doesn't take long either because each one has a unique personality type so you are bound to find one you can relate to. Elliot is a level-headed, young businessman who sees second life as an opportunity, despite initial hesitations towards CryoCore. Annie is the opposite, making her very spontaneous and full of quick reaction, which gets her in trouble. I like to see it as Annie is the rebellious young teenager and Elliot is the older teenager facing a transition to adulthood; gives you the idea of the personalities a little better.

In terms of final responses to Weeping Water, it really makes you think and reflect. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know this is something I really enjoy in a novel. The concept of CryoCore makes you think about the life you are leading and if you are doing it justice by living fully; it brings the idea of "anything can happen so live as though today is your last." By adding a second-chance at life, it pushes the question further by asking you "what regrets would you want to make right if given the chance?"


Lastly, I want to give a shout out to the author, JT Ruby, for his incredible writing style. It flowed so smoothly and was only descriptive when necessary. Furthermore, I enjoyed that a fair amount of the novel was written through dialogue instead of narrative passages; it's more immersive for a reader so I'm really happy.

Rating: 5/5
Reason: Thought-provoking and immersing novel
Disclaimer: There are a couple of mature sections.
Trigger Warning: Attempted sexual assault.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)
 As always comment your thoughts, e-mail me for business inquiries, and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar).
A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Saturday 19 March 2016

Exhaled: A Novella (Isabella Rogge)

I hope March has been kind to you so far and that you've been enjoying some good books too. As many of you know, I'm currently working through another term of University, but I finally managed to squeeze in time devoted to reading this novella. Isabella Rogge reached out to me a while ago (all the way at the start of January) to review her novella, since I helped promote her collaborative book Fire In The Stars back in September. So without further ado, the review!

Exhaled: A Novella is a short story (72 pages) that follows Claire Williams, a young girl facing the challenge of accepting the after-life after a tragic accident. She is met by Caesar, the "greeter of death" as I like to describe him, who has been given the task of escorting Claire to the after-life. Claire, however, is reluctant to let the living go do to unfulfilled promises. The story follows Claire and her acceptance of death, as well as Caesar's journey to understanding life.


Though the story is brief in comparison to a full length novel, I was immersed so quickly and even after finishing the novella; I wish it was a full length novel. I love stories that make you question your own stance on accepting the inevitability of death; novels that make you reflect back on yourself. If life were to be cut short, would you truly be able to move forward, or would you be left with uncompleted tasks?

The characters Isabella writes are very natural and contrasting. Claire and Caesar are quirky in their own ways; they are an unlikely pair of personalities. But they give each other an understanding of a topic they initially couldn't grasp. I like that a lot - I tip my metaphorical hat to Isabella for again creating amazing characters.


Rating: 5/5
Reason: An amazing, thought-provoking topic & incredible characters

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

 As always comment your thoughts, e-mail me for business inquiries, and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar).
A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Saturday 27 February 2016

Foundation (Isaac Asimov)

Welcome back everyone! I'm continuing the journey through the beginning of science fiction as a genre and I have now entered the 'Golden Age' - so I learned in class. This age of science fiction is strongly recognized due to the work of Isaac Asimov, published in 1951.

Foundation is actually a series of books; however, with the time frame of my English course, we only read the first one. The novel takes place over hundreds of thousands of years in the Galaxy. The story begins in what time period with a psychohistorian by the name of Hari Seldon, a man who creates the Foundation - an organization thought to be creating an encyclopedia of the Empire's knowledge. However, as the universe becomes shaky, the truth is revealed for the Foundation's true purpose. Seldon predicted a series of crises and created the Foundation to reduce the impact as they arise. Though the Foundation faces many challenges, and tries to think on their own, their fate appears sealed by the predictions of one man. Does the Foundation complete it's mission, or will the resistance of the Empire stop them from creating something new?


The synopsis you just read was actually quite difficult to formulate because the story is quite confusing when you read it. The book itself is split into 5 parts, each in a unique time period and each with a different set of characters; you have to adapt quite quickly with each part of the novel. The characters within each part of the story are all very similar in the sense that they try to complete the same task and try to think how Seldon would have predicted them too. But you can also think of the civilizations - the Foundation, Empire, and four Kingdoms - to be macro-characters themselves. The book is very multi-leveled in the sense that you can gain different meaning and symbolism, depending on how deep you look into it.

I knew I wanted to share this book with you because it's a classic and quite defining for the genre of science fiction. The novel is extremely dated, since it came out in 1951, so the language can feel aged. But there's this unknown thing that keeps your attention grasped when you let the book do so; it just pulls you in. Of course, since this was for my English class, I did have to analyze it in the form of an essay. One of the main themes I pulled from it was how technology is a tool that, if developed enough, can create a forward moving society. Also, people approach technology different depending on how knowledgeable they are of it; they either view it with fear or wonder.


Overall I would rate Foundation 3.5/5 because (as with Wells) you have to give credit Asimov credit for creating a new age of science fiction. He also created the concept of psychohistory, which is pretty incredible. But, the story has aged quite visibly and a lot of times I didn't know what was going on.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

Leave a comment with your thoughts on this story or with a suggestion of another book I should read & review!

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Monday 15 February 2016

This or That (Book Tag)

Hello everyone!
Since my reviews are going to be further apart, due to lack of spare reading time, I decided to fill the void with some book tags and questions. 

I saw Sarah from ReadingMyDayAway do this tag and thought it looked fun :)

So on with the questions!
____________________________________________________

Audio or book in hand?

I am most definitely a 'book in hand' kind of person! Nothing beats the feel of the pages between your fingers.

Soft cover or hardback?

I like soft cover when traveling because it doesn't make my bag as heavy, but I do love a hardback book because I love the weight of a book in your hands when reading.

Fiction or nonfiction?

I typically only read fiction novels; if it is nonfiction, it's likely a textbook for school.

Fantasy or real life issues?

I like both. I know that's not how this tag works, but I like both!

Harry Potter or Twilight?

Harry Potter until the very end. Always.

Kindle, iPad, or other?

I don't own any sort of e-reader so it doesn't really apply. I would just have to answer Macbook because occasionally I'll read a PDF version.

Borrow or buy?

I mostly just borrow from the library because my student budget doesn't have the cash to build my own collection... yet! I want to have a bookshelf filled with my favourites one day.

Bookstore or online?

I like traveling to the bookstore and standing there in awe of all the incredible work that people have created. Though the last time I bought a book it was online...I needed it in a hurry for school.

Tell me once or total trilogy?

If the story is good enough... I like a trilogy. But recently I've been trying to move away from series and read 'tell me once' kind of novels; less commitment!

Monster read or short and sweet?

Depending on my schedule, I like a monster read. I love becoming invested in characters, their world, and their story.

Starry eyed romance or action packed?

Why not both? But if I had to pick, I'd prefer action packed because sometimes romance novels just remind me just how single I actually am!   

  Curl up in bed or bathe in the sun?

Curl up in bed! Nothing beats pj's, blankets, and a tea!

Hot chocolate or latte?

Hot chocolate because I don't drink coffee.

Read the review or decide for yourself?

Decide for myself - that's the whole point of this blog! I don't want to agree with everyone else. I want to create my own opinion of a story.
____________________________________________________

And with that last question, thank you for reading this book tag! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit more! 

Until next time,
Happy Reading Bookworms 

Thursday 4 February 2016

Update #5

Hello again everyone! 
I just wanted to write this very brief update post to give you a sense of what's going on with this blog and also to talk about a new and exciting thing.

POSTING SCHEDULE
For the rest of this term (until end of April), my posting schedule is most definitely not going to be bi-weekly. I will try my best to post every 3 weeks, but it will likely be one post per month. Sorry for the slow down, but school comes first!

TWITTER
This blog now has a Twitter page
I want to use the new account to try and interact more with you guys. In addition to posting when a new review is out, I will be sharing updates about what I'm reading or what I hope to read. Furthermore, I plan to post book quotes from whatever it is I'm reading at the time that I think is cute, funny, or inspirational. Just little bits here and there to fill the void :)

So there we go! You are now up to speed with everything going on!
Of course, I there is still the Tumblr page and the Facebook page that will also give you updates to when the new reviews are posted, so don't forget to give those a follow and a like. 

Until next time,
Happy Reading Bookworms

Saturday 30 January 2016

The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)

Time flies so quickly, doesn't it? I was hoping 2016 would show a continuation of the consistent posting that I had achieved towards the end of 2015. But sadly it did not and I'm sorry about that. It's so easy to forget how much time University actually takes up after being off and working for 4 months. Now that I am back in school, I guess that means I can't continue to expect my reviews to be posted bi-weekly. Saying that, however, I am taking that English course I mentioned and I have finished two of the books; one of which I am going to talk about in this review!

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. That's a pretty well-known and classic title in the world of science fiction. This novel is, as I learned in my course, the father of the genre; it is the first footprint made in a now wide-spread and fast-selling family of books. The War of the Worlds is a story of aliens vs. humans in an uneven battle of technology and lifestyle. As human beings, we see ourselves as advanced and merciful creatures; however, in the face of extraterrestrial beings, we are fearful and under equipped. The novel follows the journey of one man and his brother, experiencing the same terrors of alien threat but in different places in Europe. The aliens, mechanical creatures that reflect the image of a tripod, have unimaginable technologies that allow their domination over humanity. But these aliens are defeated by something they could not foresee and something the humans will forever be thankful for: microbiology.


I'm expecting quite a few people reading this to have either done one of the following: read the novel or watched the Tom Cruise movie. If you've done both, you'll know there is some disconnect between the two, so I shall leave the movie out of my review.

The War of the Worlds was originally published in 1898, so it's safe to say the literature and writing-style has aged considerably; but the story itself holds quite well. Being over 100 years old, the cultural context plays a significant role in the characters presented to the reader. H.G. Wells used archetypal writing to reflect his opinions and the world around him. For example, the Curate represented how the church and religious figures would react in the event of an invasion; the artilleryman represented the army and how they would react; his brother represented science and how their stable or open minds would give them an edge during invasion. H.G Wells was not only a science fiction writer, but he was an incredible executor of literary devices. I understand why Wells is so respected in the genre; he dreamed up these intelligent creatures and the concept of flying spacecraft. He had an imaginative mind.

The Many Covers of WOTW - http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/wotw.html 

Stepping back from the analysis of Wells' writing, and his pure genius of genre creation, my overall opinion of the book is less idealistic. Though the concept of aliens vs. humans was new in 1898, the idea in our present day society is old and overindulged. As a reader of many science fiction books, it was as though I'd read the story already; of course that isn't Wells' fault. I just wish the story was timeless. If I were to also push this aside, I'm still left with the dry literature and the lack of character presence. Since the writing used archetypal characters, you don't bond with them or learn about them as you go: you already know them. Discovery of character is my favourite part of reading!

Overall I would rate The War of the Worlds 3/5 because I have to give H.G Wells credit for the incredible feat he conquered over 100 years ago. He created a genre of novel that is well respected today and my favourite one to fall back to. However, being published in 1898, the story and writing have aged which means the captivation is lost.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Saturday 2 January 2016

12 Bookish Questions

Happy 2016 Everyone!
 To ring in the new year, I thought I'd give you some insight into my life, the books I've read, the books I plan to read and just a general behind-the-scenes of sorts. Enjoy :)
  1. What was the first book you remember reading/being read?

    For someone with a terrible memory, this question becomes quite difficult to answer; however, I did used to have a drawer FULL with Dr. Seuss books such as "Green Egg & Ham" or "Oh The Places You'll Go" as well as some Disney ones. So I guess those would be the first ones I vaguely remember reading or being read.


  2. What is your favorite book of all time?

    This is a tough question as well since I've gone through so many different phases with the books I read. I haven't always been a Science Fiction enthusiast - I used to read a lot of Romance before that. I guess I can always default to "Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban" but if I were to go with a different answer, it would have to be a fairly recent book: "Erobos: It's a Game. It Watches You"

  3. Which book has left the most lasting impression on you?

    One book that definitely had a lasting impression on me, and still does to this day, is "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" as well as it's movie adaption. When I first read that book, I was in a rough place and related to Charlie so much - I felt like an outsider and as though I didn't have a place to fit in. But that book taught me to keep living because there is always a ray of sunshine and a rainbow after a storm.

  4. What books are on your bedside table at the moment?

    I actually have quite a few right now due to Christmas and the upcoming school year (I'm taking an English course). For school I have: "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, and "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson. From Christmas I have: "In Real Life" by Joey Graceffa and "The Amazing Book is not on Fire" by Dan & Phil.

  5. Name one book/author that you really can't stand?

    If you read the review then you know I truly cannot stand "Room" by Emma Donoghue. The writing style was awful and the plot line was both slow and predictable.


  6. What type of books do you like reading most?

    Currently I am a hardcore Science Fiction lover - that's actually the English course that I am taking this term; I love it that much!

  7. If you were given $30 to spend on a book today, what book would you buy?

    If I was given $30 to spend on a book today, it would be one of the textbooks I need for this term. Lame, I know - but it's the truth!

  8. Where's your favorite place to read?

    When I can, I like to read outside in a comfy chair underneath the clouds with the sound of the birds in the trees. If I can't be outside, then I like to be curled up in some blankets on my bed underneath my fairy lights.


  9. Which character in a book do you think is most like you?

    I've never really thought about this before - especially reading Science Fiction - but if I step out of that genre, I'd have to say Charlie from "Perks of Being a Wallflower." I'm still learning to be comfortable with the person that I am, and I'm still trying to find a good group of people, but I hope for his happy ending. Also, he's a student and I'm a student so there's that.

  10. Which character in a book would you most like to be?

    I would love to be a low-level character from any "Harry Potter" book, but Luna Lovegood would be good. I love the wizarding world JK Rowling created and I wish it was a real place I could go to. Also, Luna Lovegood is such a whimsical person and I wish I had her outgoing and self-loving personality :)

  11. What book do you plan to read next?

    Since I'm starting that Science Fiction course, I will be reading either of those 3 book I mentioned previously - the order will depending on the course outline I receive Monday night! But I will be reading Joey Graceffa's book hopefully along the way too.

  12. Which literary character would you most like to have a 'significant relationship' with?

    This question is a little open ended, so I'm not sure if it is heading towards a romantic relationship or a strong friendship, so I shall cover both! For a romantic relationship, I would like to have one with Chael from "The Bodies We Wear" by Jeyn Roberts; he was so caring and only wanted the best for Faye. I want a relationship that is meaningful, trusting, and you know your significant other has your back. For a non-romantic relationship, I'd love to have a close friendship with Luna Lovegood because I feel like she would have so much insight and wisdom, both for the grounds/castle of Hogwarts and for life's problems in general; I would love to hear her advice to anything you might go through.

Well there we go! A little insight before 2016 really gets underway. As I mentioned in a couple of my answers, I'm back at school which means I'll be busy. I had hoped to read more over the holiday break to line some reviews up, but I didn't actually do that. That means there will be a delay, but I will be back to review the books I read for school, and probably Joey and Dan & Phil's books too.
 
Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

*questions came from HERE