Books To Movies

Welcome Back Bookworms

It's been quite some time since I posted and that is because I just haven't felt like reading in a while now. GASP! I know it's crazy isn't it; not reading despite running a book blog. But I was starting to feel bad for not updating this blog so I came up with a post idea and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Books are often transformed from words on a page into visuals on the big screen. The transition from book to movie can either enhance a story or leave the things you enjoyed about it out of the picture. It's always a difficult decision about going to see a movie for a book you absolutely loved. So that poses the next question:

Do you see the movie before or after reading the novel?

I've gone both ways with this one and I'm still undecided as to which way is better. Let me break it down a little bit as to why that is. 

There are series I've read, such as The Hunger Games or Divergent, where I knew the story before seeing the directors depiction of said stories. In the first case, that of The Hunger Games, I was glad to have read the novels first because I had a greater understanding of the dynamics of the Districts and the Capitol; I felt as though I knew it was going on, which is something I wouldn't have achieved if I'd see the movies first. However, in the second case, that of the Divergent series, I was left at a loss because of changes to the original plot. In most cases they were minor details, but they were still deviations from what I was expecting, which made watching the movies more painful than enjoyable.

On the flip side, I've watched movies that I really enjoyed that I later discovered were based on books, so I of course went back and read them. One example of that is If I Stay which I absolutely loved, despite some people saying it was too cheesy or it moved at too quick of a pace initially with the development of their relationship. After watching the movie, I knew I needed to go back and read the original story, as well as the sequel. I loved falling in love with the characters again, but this time through words on a page and not pictures on a screen. I don't know if it would have gone so well the other way around. I also recently just watched Me Before You, a movie that I haven't yet read the book for (though it had been on my list to read). Having watched the movie now, which I thought was adorable, I'm not sure I want to read the book because the movie seemed so perfect. 

The Final Dilemma? 

Reading a book before the movie means you have more insight into what the author thinks about the characters or the plot, but this means you have higher expectations of the movie and become disappointed by mistakes. Watching the movie before reading the book means you have clear images of what the characters and places look like, but it can become frustrating if you later discovering something wasn't replicated correctly which ultimately ruins both the book AND the movie. 

So, I pose the following to you: which do you do first?

2017 Anticipation: January - June

Welcome Back Bookworms

 Now this is not a review, which is highly unlike me; however, like I mentioned at the start of the year, I want to incorporate some different types of posts into my blog. For this non-review post, I want to talk about some books being released this year that I'm looking for either because of the author, the cover artwork, or the synopsis. I'm going to pick one book for each month of the first half of the year. I'll do a second one of these later on. Hope you like this idea!

 

1. Carve The Mark - Veronica Roth

Reason: Author 

Release: January 17

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world? Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another.

 2. The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogen 

Reason: Cover

Release: February 21 

Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects—the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidently left behind—and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life’s mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost. Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony’s lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor’s quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony’s last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners.

3. The Secrets You Keep - Kate White

Reason: Synopsis

Release: March 21

What would you do if you realized that your new husband, a man you adore, is keeping secrets from you—secrets with terrifying consequences? Bryn Harper, an accomplished self-help author, already has plenty to deal with. She’s still recovering from a devastating car accident that has left her haunted by recurring, smoke-filled nightmares. Worse still, she can’t shake the ominous feeling her dreams contain a warning. 
In the beginning, Bryn’s husband Guy couldn’t have been more supportive. But after moving into a new house together, disturbing incidents occur and Guy grows evasive, secretive. What the hell is going on, she wonders? Then, a woman hired to cater their dinner party is brutally murdered. As Bryn’s world unravels—and yet another woman in town is slain —she must summon her old strength to find answers and protect her own life. Her nightmares may in fact hold the key to unlocking the truth and unmasking the murderer. 

4. The End of Our Story - Meg Haston

Reason: Cover

Release: April 4

BEFORE: Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it.

AFTER: When Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. Though they once knew each other’s every secret, they aren’t the same people they used to be. Bridge can’t imagine life without Wil, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Can they find their way back to each other, or will this be the end of their story?

5. You Were Here - Gian Sarder

Reason: Synopsis

Release: May 16

Death, accidental and early, has always been Abby Walters's preoccupation. Now thirty-three and eager to settle down with her commitment-shy boyfriend, a recurring dream from her past returns: a paralyzing nightmare of being buried alive, the taste of dirt in her mouth cloying and real. But this time the dream reveals a name from her family's past. Looking for answers, Abby returns home to small-town Minnesota for the first time in fourteen years, where she reconnects with her high school crush, now a police detective on the trail of a violent criminal. When Abby tries on her grandmother's mesmerizing diamond ring, a ring she always dreamed would be hers, she discovers a cryptic note long hidden beneath the box's velvet lining. What secret was her grandmother hiding? And could this be the key to what's haunting Abby? As she begins to uncover the traces of a love triangle gone shockingly wrong nearly seventy years before, we, too, see that the layers of our lives may echo a past we’ve never known.

6. The Next Together - Lauren James

Reason: Cover

Release: June 13 

Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time they are total strangers thrust together under unusual circumstances. Each time their presence changes history for the better. And each time they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated. Why does fate keep bringing them together to save the world, and what must they achieve before they can finally be left to love in peace? Maybe the next together will be different. Told in parallel time streams through a mixture of prose, diary entries, letters, “original” historical documents, news reports, and Internet articles, and spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039, The Next Together is a glittering, sweeping story of time travel, fate, and the power of first love.

Let me know in the comments if you're going to read any of these!

The Kingdom of Oceana (Charles Mitchell)

The Kingdom of Oceana

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: Fantasy & Action

Length: 222 pages

It's the last Friday of January and I somehow managed to post every single Friday this month. Not too shabby considering I hadn't posted at all in November and December! From this point forward, the pacing will likely drop to every other week again for reviews, but I might add some different book-related posts in between. Speaking of different, this book is unlike anything I had read before and clearly that paid off based on my rating. I couldn't put the book down! Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five centuries ago, on the island now called Hawaii, there was a kingdom filled with adventure, beauty, and magic. When 16-year-old Prince Ailani and his brother Nahoa trespass on a forbidden burial ground and uncover an ancient tiki mask, they unleash a thousand-year-old curse that threatens to destroy their tropical paradise. As warring factions collide for control of Oceana, it sparks an age-old conflict between rival sorcerers that threatens to erupt-just like Mauna Kea, the towering volcano. With the help of his ancestral spirit animals, his shape shifting sidekick, and a beautiful princess, Prince Ailani must overcome his own insecurities, a lifetime of sibling rivalry, and a plague of cursed sea creatures brought forth by the tiki's spell. Can peace be restored to the kingdom? Can Prince Ailani claim his rightful place as the future king of Oceana? Only one can rule. (From GOODREADS)

What I found fun about this book was the use of native language, because it added an element of education and immersion to the story. I've never been to Hawaii but it's a place that's always been on my bucket list due to the nature and the culture. Charles Mitchell's novel captures both of those things really well and combines that with an ancient legend that could threaten the beauty of the Kingdom. The plot is intricate and filled with unexpected twists and turns. Once you hit 1/3 of the way into the book, it's like you become entranced by a spell that makes you want to finish it in one quick sweep.

The two brothers in the story are so real to how I feel brothers usually are: competitive. Though they have grown up together in a loving family, they still fight for the inevitable battle of who will be King; something they both have different views upon in terms of style. In was such a captivating dynamic that made you feel like you knew these two brothers really well.

Overall, I would highly recommend The Kingdom of Oceana 

Happy Reading!

Children of Eden (Joey Graceffa)

Children of Eden

Rating: 4.5/5
 

Genre: Science Fiction; Distopian

Length: 278 pages

I don't often buy books - instead I'll borrow from a library - but this book was most definitely one I wanted on my shelf. Joey's choice of artwork is incredible and the texture of the front cover is a nice added bonus. This was the only book I pre-ordered in 2016 and I'm so glad that I did!

Rowan is a Second Child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Her kaleidoscope eyes will give her away to the ruthless Center government. Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron al Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years in Eden until the EcoPan heals the world. As an illegal Second Child, Rowan has been hidden away in her family's compound for sixteen years. Now, restless and desperate to see the world, she recklessly escapes for what she swears will be only one night of adventure. Though she finds an exotic world, and even a friend, the night leads to tragedy. Soon Rowan becomes a renegade on the run – unleashing a chain of events that could change the world of Eden forever. (From GOODREADS)

First off, I absolutely fell in love with Rowan within a few paragraphs of reading about her. She has a spunk to her despite being hidden away in one location for her entire life. I mean, let's be honest, if any of us were locked inside our homes for 16 years we would probably be miserable; but not Rowan. She still has faith in her chance to live among society, even if it means a few risks. 

The plot was also very enjoyable and was paced well, until the final 50 pages or so; then it became too rushed and abrupt. Despite that discrepancy in pace at the end, the entire book was well thought out and even had a few plot twists that I did NOT see coming at all. Some of those twist had me close to tears and others had me mentally yelling at my book. Good job Joey... well played!

If you haven't read this yet, definitely pick up a copy
 

Happy Reading!

A Year In Review: 2016

Good Morning Bookworms!

I figured the best way to start off the year would be to look back on the books I reviewed last year, that way if you're new then you know what I've recommended in the past year; gives you a sense of the types of books I enjoy. So let's get started!

5 Star Novels

Weeping Water - JT Ruby

Exhaled - Isabella Rogge

4+ Star Novels

 In Real Life - Joey Graceffa

Rebellion Project - Sara Schoen 

HP And The Cursed Child - JK Rowling

3+ Star Novels

War Of The Worlds - HG Wells

Foundation - Isaac Asimov

Stake Out - Lily Luchesi

2+ Star Novels

In Vitro Lottery - Ed Ryder

One Person's Craziness - RT Ojas

1+ Star Novels

Visions Of My Heart - Garikai Nhongo

Overall, 2016 was a pretty good year for books and my only regret is that I didn't find time to read more of them. As mentioned in the 2017 update post, there are 3 more reviews for 2016 to go live but then after that, it's onto 2017 reading. I've set myself a Goodreads goal to finish 15 books this year. 

What's your goal for 2017?

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.

Find a copy here

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.

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?

Watch The Trailer

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! 

You can pick up a copy here

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.

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.

Pick up a copy! 

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!

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.

Pick up a copy!

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.

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

Make sure to get your copy!

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.

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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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.

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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 

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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Unaccompanied Minor (Hollis Gillespie)

Good morning bookworms! How has December been treating you? Hopefully you aren't too snowed in; though that does mean curling up by the fire with a good book so it's not always a terrible thing! But if it's summer where you are now, enjoy the warmth for me okay? The book I'm about to review is one I came across on Goodreads - I don't often scroll through there, but I am subscribed to their newsletters and I believe I saw it in one of their e-mails. If not, then it came from Tumblr. Regardless of why I decided to read it, I read it and it was a pretty good book!

Unaccompanied Minor is a book by Hollis Gillespie that I would categorize under the thriller genre though it's not necessarily scary. It is also of the mystery genre based on the plot line that the book follows. Despite those genres, the story is extremely light-hearted and at times can be quite comical. The story follows April Manning, a 14 year old girl from a long list of WorldAir employees; her mother is a flight attendant, her father was a pilot and her step-father (Ash) is also a pilot. Her family is a little dysfunctional though, especially since her father was killed in a plane crash. Since then, her step-father has moved across the country from her mother and gotten her mother confined to a psych ward; this leaves April to fly back and forth between her loving mother with no custodial rights and her step-father who could care less that she exists. After horrific events in Ash's apartment, April is left to flee and hide as an unaccompanied minor. But during one flight, things don't go as planned: a hijack, a bomb, Ash, and false coordinates to land. Will anyone on that plane make it back down to the ground safely?

When I first started this book, I didn't fully understand what the book had planned or truly what the concept of it was. I'm not sure if this effected my opinion, but it took me a long time to feel myself immersed in the novel. As I said, I don't know if it was the unclear concept or if the book was just slow to start off. The story is written through April's perspective, but it is also done at times as a series of police reports and interview records. At the beginning of the novel, the point of this writing style is unclear since the main events on the plane have not taken place. Once done the novel, it does make sense, but the delayed understanding did decrease the rating of the story.

One thing I did like was the diversity of characters present in the novel. There is a broad spectrum of ages of the main characters from April and Malcom, who are young teenagers, to Flo, who is a fairly old flight attendant that gets away with everything. Each character has a distinct personality which allows you as a reader to find someone you can relate to and root for throughout the duration of the story. I personally found myself to be similar to Malcolm - he's quiet, reserved, but definitely there for you when you need him; he also has a dog named Captain Beefheart and I would love to have my own version of that dog!

Once I had finished the novel, I read the short author blurb at the back of the book to discover that Hollis was working on a sequel to this novel. I personally don't see how another novel would benefit or enhance the story, as most of the plot had been tied up by the end. But, for the sake of being informative, the follow-up novel is out and called We Will be Crashing Shortly. I likely won't be reading the second story, but let me know if you do.

Overall I would rate Unaccompanied Minor 3.5/5 because it was good, but it could have been better. I understand that publishers don't like prologues anymore, but I think a chapter at the start that gave a preview as to why the story was written as police reports would be extremely helpful in clarifying a few things. But it was still a very good read and I still recommend it.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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*OTS* Mortal Danger (Ann Aguirre)

Welcome to the second installment of Off The Shelf which started a while ago. To be honest, I almost forgot that I had started that idea so I’m bringing it back and am hoping to do this every 3^rd or 4^th review posted. Just as a refresher, Off The Shelf is a series similar to Strawburry17’s show Something New on YouTube. I don’t have any back story as to why I chose this book but instead simply grabbed it off the shelf. Also, just as a side note: my apologies for missing the upload on Monday - things have been a little busy lately but it's here now so let's go!

The book that caught my eye, forcing me to pull it off the shelf, was Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre. This novel is of a science-fiction, supernatural genre, and had a pretty unique plot idea! The story follows Edie Kramer, a girl trying to make it through the pain and laughs of Blackbriar Academy - that's not an easy task when the end of one school year leaves you doubting if you want to be around anymore. But there was a change during the summer that gave her confidence to walk through the doors for her senior year: that change was Kian. He offers her a deal, one that's impossible to refuse, especially from a figure like him. However, as usual, a deal can not be done without some consequences. Soon Edie finds herself wrapped up in a game of monsters and temptations, and she soon isn't sure who she can trust.

So why did I pick this book off the shelf? There was something about the cover that was intriguing - maybe it was the monochrome colours with the bright red infinity symbol in blood. There is a great deal of symbolism if you want to delve into that side of literature. An infinite symbol signifies being connected with something for life, either by choice or by force. The blood creating the infinity made me feel a drop in my stomach because it appears as though someones life was decided for them; the one tied forever has no choice in the matter - they will bleed trying to break the forever or they will pump blood and live with it.

The characters in the story, Edie and Kian, are both powerhouse figures: their personalities are strong and often collide. But this adds an element to the book that is irresistible! I don't really know how to put into words anything I felt while reading the story. It was fast-paced, heart-pounding, and almost left me light-headed with excitement. I finished the novel in a couple days, and honestly I would have finished sooner had I had a good chunk of time on one day. 

Alternate Book Cover

When I grabbed this book off the shelf, I didn't know anything about the author or that this is part of the Immortal Game series. This is the first book in the trilogy and there is a fourth side novel from Kian's perspective. The second book is Public Enemies and the third book is Infinite Risk, due to release August 2016. The side novel is out now and is titled The Girl in the Gray Sweatshirt.

Overall I would rate Mortal Danger 5/5 because it left me speechless, which makes it really hard to write a review! I look forward to when I get the chance to finish this series because it is absolutely worth my time to wait for that third one to release.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Room (Emma Donoghue)

Welcome back everyone and welcome to November – did anyone else find that the month of October flew by extremely quickly? I blinked and suddenly it was Halloween, leaving me concerned that I didn’t really read any books at all last month! But, I’m glad to see others have been reading because in just 2 weeks, we’ve already gained 100 page views! I am so incredibly grateful for all of the support and I’m glad you take the time to read what I have to say. Now on with another review!

Back in September I read a book called Room by Emma Donoghue which is a book I’m struggling to categorize since I personally found it to be a bit “out of the box” genre-wise. It was a lifestyle genre with an element of mystery and suspense. The book looks through the eyes of three year old Jack and his mother, raising him almost on her own. The small family is far from normal since the two of them only ever see the same four walls of the same one room. They don’t see outside. They don’t smell fresh air. They don’t see any other people except this one guy: Nick. Nick kidnapped the boy’s mother and locked her in his shed where the boy was eventually born. For the mother, she is constantly trying to think of ways to get back home, but for the boy this is home because he doesn’t know any better. Will the two escape the shed of which they’ve been forced to call home? If escaped, how does an isolated child react to the world and a single mother forget the horrors of that room?

The book sounds pretty interesting right? That’s what I thought too until I started reading the book. Though the plot line is unique and intriguing, the writing style is less than ideal: it’s written from the boy’s perspective with the vocabulary and mannerisms of a boy. Inanimate objects are suddenly capitalized and described as real beings; this got old very quickly! I also found the execution of the plot line to be slow and at times quite boring. There was no true build of the story, but instead stayed at very much the same level of intensity throughout the entirety of the novel. The characters within the novel left me feeling disconnected because there wasn’t necessarily any personality traits that stood out that would allow me to “build a bond” with them; I like characters that leave me picturing them clearly and relating them back to people I know in my own life. I just felt that a lot of elements were missed with this one.

Upon doing some research, I discovered that Room is now a movie recently released to theatres on November 6. I personally have no intention of seeing this movie, but I would find it interesting to know if the adaption to film adds the missing elements from the book. If you go see the movie, comment your thoughts on how it was. If you’ve read the book and go see the movie, comment about whether or not they kept the view point and vocabulary of Jack.

Overall I would rate Room 0.5/5 because the vocabulary of Jack’s view point made the book excruciating to read. The story also only had a singular level of intensity with poorly developed characters. As always, my poor rating could be reflective of a personal preference so please feel free to try the novel despite my thoughts and certainly let me know yours!

Until next time,

Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Infinite Sea (Richard Yancey)

I want to start off by thanking everyone who takes the time to read my reviews for doing so because we have officially crossed over 2000 page views since starting in March 2014! I really do appreciate each and everyone of you. I look forward to what the future holds for this blog! Now on with the review :)

If you haven’t read the last review, make sure to check that one out first as this is a follow up to that one. As I mentioned in that review, The 5thWave is a trilogy and this book is the sequel. At the time of reading the first book, I didn’t know it was a series and that left me on the wrong foot when starting this one. I didn’t want The 5^th Wave to be a series and I didn’t have intentions of starting another trilogy. But, despite this, I tried to leave those hesitations behind so I wouldn’t affect my opinion of this book. If you haven’t read the first book, I will warn you that a couple lines of this review may be spoilers for that book; I tried my best not to spoil anything, but it’s difficult sometimes! Another warning is that I recently fell into the pit known as "writer's block" so this review is being written far after the reading of the book; therefore, some details are a little hazy. My apologies!

The Infinite Sea is a science fiction novel that continues to follow the lives of the characters you grew to love in the first book. Upon the incredible plan that the characters managed to execute in The 5^th Wave, they must learn to survive once again; however, the stakes are much greater this time around. Having deceived the enemy, the characters now have a large target on their backs: there's no escaping the punishment that awaits such an incredible take-down. After the group makes it to the designated safe house, planned by Evan, they must created a new plan: where do they go if they leave? Should they stay put and wait for everyone to return safely? With the many decisions on the table, the group becomes divided in what is the right course of action. This indecision causes a rift in the group, leaving them vulnerable and prone to be picked off: one by one. 

From what I can remember, the overall plot of the book was pretty well developed and did hold my attention fairly well. The only thing was that I found it to be a little too "typical" for a science fiction/dystopian novel. I really wanted there to be something that side swiped me like getting t-boned by a truck. It lacked a sense of sudden, surprise urgency. For the characters, there was definitely development and you were able to get a deeper understanding of their thoughts and the path that led them to where they are now. 

As mentioned in the first review, there is a third book (The Last Star) set to publish on May 17, 2016. At this moment, I am unsure if I will read and review it or not since it is a long time off: I like to read trilogies close together so that the details and connections are fresh in my mind. Reading the third book would involved having to revisit this novel and The 5th Wave closer to that date and, unfortunately, I don't really feel that this series is a re-read level of book. I will however likely see the movie for The 5th Wave in January 2016 to see how the words transition into images on film.

Overall I would rate The Infinite Sea 4/5 because I found it to be a little more in-depth than the first novel in the series, which left me not putting the book down; however, with that being said, I definitely could still use some more creativity and thought for the plot line itself.  

Until next time,

Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, for those who are celebrating it today! Hope you are enjoying your time and are appreciating everything you have to be thankful for. This book is one I have been meaning to read for a while, after first hearing about it from YouTuber Joey Graceffa. He gave this book high praise and I wasn’t going to pass on this book after hearing about it at that level of enthusiasm. When I first picked up the book, I was not aware that this was set to be apart of a trilogy; I was disappointed when I found out, especially since the third book is not due to release until 2016. But, with that detail set aside, I read the book and I’m excited to share my thoughts.

The 5^th Wave is a futuristic, science fiction novel that follows the stories of several people whose lives become very intertwined as they struggle to survive. The novel is broken into clear cut sections, each following the mind set of another individual trying to survive to the next day; a few of these characters include Cassia, Sam, Ben, and Evan, though there are many other viewpoints you get to experience in addition to those four. The story begins by explaining how the Earth reached “the 5^th wave” and who was behind these destructive waves: aliens who appear to want to exterminate and move in. But, humans, being the stubborn species that we are, won’t go down without a fight, and the characters plan to do just that: fight. Cassia and Sam fight for family, Ben fights for righting past mistakes, and Evan fights for change. Who will come out on top: humans or aliens?

I know what you must be thinking – another science fiction novel? Struggle to survive? – this is just going to be a cookie cutter story of what you’ve reviewed in the past. I too had my reservations about it all as I started, but it has a lot going for it. Though I was worried about the constant switch of perspective, especially since they aren’t clearly labelled as to which character you have entered the mind of, it only slightly distracted from the plot. Each character brings a unique viewpoint of the problem at hand and a unique way of dealing with the pressures of an extraterrestrial attack. Cassia is the sister you would want rooting for you: she is strong and does not flinch when faced with a challenge. Sam is the brother you would want to protect until he’s an adult, though he has grown up so quickly that he is just fine on his own. Ben is the “boy next door” type that you would label as a hard-core guy, but discover he may actually be sensitive behind all the walls. Evan is the mysterious boy that is dangerous and raises some red flags, but also melts you inside so you hold on tight. I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters, especially since they blended together so well.

The plot of the story is slightly cookie cutter “aliens attack Earth”, and I did find myself predicting some of the events that popped up along the way; however, I was very immersed in the novel and struggled to pace my reading. There are a few moments in the story that take you by surprise or leave you yelling at the pages, hoping to get through to the character with your outside perspective. I would have preferred the story be written from only two or three perspectives instead of the upwards of six you go through, but I do understand the author’s reasoning behind doing so. Though the stories of the characters are intertwined, they take place in their own time and space; trying to tie them together without separate perspectives would be difficult.

As mentioned at the beginning, this is the first book in a series of three novels. The second book is entitled The Infinite Sea and the third book is entitled The Last Star, due to publish on May 17, 2016. The first book is also coming out as a movie, premiering in January 2016!

 

Overall I would rate The 5^th Wave 3.5/5 because the multiple perspectives left lags between sections, since it took me a few paragraphs to grasp which character I was following. Also, the lower rating is due to the slight cookie cutter plotline; I would have enjoyed some more creativity, especially with the four waves leading up to the 5^th wave.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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