Overall: 3/5 for the book, 4/5 because I love Harper Lee
SRP Goal: 12/20
I finished Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee and it took me over a week (which is a long time for me) and I don’t really know how I feel about it. I absolutely love To Kill a Mockingbird and in no way did Go Set a Watchman change that- it actually enforced it. I know have a deeper appreciation for TKaM and its underlying narrative, issues, symbolism, and overall feeling. I’ve read TKaM over and over (at least 5 times) and each time I find something new/different to enjoy. GSaW is NOT a sequel, in the truest sense, to TKaM- yes it takes place after TKaM, Scout is grown up and the characters have evolved with the times but it’s a drastically different story. I had a hard time keeping the two separate- I didn’t want to compare them, TKaM is wonderful and I don’t think GSaW could ever truly compete with it. The biggest issue I had with GSaW is the time jumps, the entire book is set within a week (or less) but there are flashbacks to Scout’s childhood. The flashbacks got so confusing- there was no indication of when (in time and in the book that) they were happening- the only indication was Jem's participation. I struggled with how many stars to give this book- 3 or 4? Three because I enjoyed it but I probably won’t read again anytime soon. Four because I love TKaM and Harper Lee. I ultimately settled on four because I love TKaM. Overall: 3/5 for the book, 4/5 because I love Harper Lee SRP Goal: 12/20
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Short review today... I fell in love with the TNT tv series- Rizzoli and Isles, I’ve watched every episode and can’t wait for more. So naturally, I decided to read the books that inspired the tv show (why I didn’t read them first, I don’t know- that is so un-librarian of me). I read the first in the series, The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen and was surprised by how different it was (though I guess I shouldn’t have been- it’s a trend Hollywood tends to follow). I enjoyed the book once I got over expecting to read the plot of the tv series in book form. Book Rizzoli (BKR) was a minor character compared to TV Rizzoli (TVR)- she was timid and unsure of her place in the Boston Police Department. She wasn’t the strong, independent, forceful, woman that she is on TNT- but that means she has room to grow throughout the book series. Maura Isles isn’t even in the first book (sadly, she’s one of my favorite characters) but according to the synopsis for the second in the series, I’ll meet her soon! I definitely enjoyed the backstory to Hoyt and how he “learned” his signature serial-killer ways. He plays such an integral part to the TV series and while they give you enough history to understand his mentality and issues, you never truly learn how he came to be “The Surgeon.” I think I will continue reading the series (this was a fast read- I finished it in two days)- I really want to see how Rizzoli becomes “Rizzoli” and I really want to meet Dr. Isles! Overall: 3/5 SRP Goal: 11/20 I want to know who decides how to market books because sometimes they are right on the nose and other times they aren’t even in the same universe…. I just finished Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll and it is marketed as crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, mystery, “the next Gone Girl or Girl on the Train” and while yes it does have a crime in it and have some horrific moments, a small mystery and a bit of suspense- it’s not exactly the same (at least in my opinion). No two books will be exactly the same, there may (and will) be some similarities and I don’t see very many between Luckiest Girl Alive and GG/GotT. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like Luckiest Girl Alive- I did but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had I not been expecting something along the lines of Girl on the Train. Luckiest Girl Alive was a coming of age-dealing with your past-accepting yourself for who you are type of story- not a thriller. Ani (TifAni FaNelli) reinvents herself after a horrible (and I mean horrible) high school experience. She’s engaged to one of New Yorks wealthiest men and is working as a writer/editor for a magazine- a far cry from the “poor” girl of high school. A TV studio approached her about producing a documentary about her high school experience- she says yes, much to the dismay of her fiance. Through flashbacks (the novel is told entirely from Ani’s POV) we find out what exactly happened to her during high school. Her fiance doesn’t support/believe/care/trust/want his “image” damaged by her past so he tries to get her to hide certain aspects of what happen from the producers/public. All of this drama culminates (not a very big climax in terms of plot but more along the lines of personal growth) for Ani and she ultimately has to decide how much of her past deserves to be heard. At first I found Ani an annoying bitch- she judged people based on looks and how much money she thought they had but after learning/reading about her past, it became obvious to me that that was the only way she knew how to deal with people who were “better” than her. As the novel progressed, she didn’t grow or have an “ah-ha” moment where she realized she shouldn’t judge people for what they look like but she did realize that she should stop punishing herself for things she had no control over and that ultimately is what she’s judging people on- the things they/she can control: looks, money. After writing this review, I think I will reread this book and, now that I know not to expect GotT, I might actually enjoy it a lot more than I did initially. Overall: 4/5 SRP Goal: 10/20 (half-way there!) I read Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley last week (sadly this isn't about Ron and Hermione's kids) and I didn’t have very high expectations (nothing against this book, just not my normal genre) and I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this book- it wasn’t a page-turner but it did keep my attention and I did was fascinated by the intricate (yet not) plot. Rose, a wife and mother, is disappointed with her life. She feels ordinary- especially compared to her extraordinary life she leads in her dreams. Every night, Rose dreams about an adventurous island she shares with Hugo- a boy who she’s grown up with in her dreams. BUT when she accidently meets him in real life, what happens when dreams and reality collide? “Their chance encounter begins a cascade of questions, lies, and a dangerous obsession that threatens to topple everything she knows. Is she willing to let go of everything she holds dear to understand their extraordinary connection? And will it lead her to discover who she truly wants to be?” (From Amazon) I struggled figuring out whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. I ultimately landed on 3.5 and only because I related to Rose so much- I may not have kids but I’ve been in the position where I’ve questioned my life decisions and if I was who I was supposed to be, if I’ve ended up where I was meant to be or if I’ve taken a detour and this (encounter, issue, person, job, school, major, etc.) is supposed to get me back on track. Its something everyone deals with and this novel depicts it perfectly. Rose struggles with her decisions, she loves her family, but she’s not happy with herself. She’s unfulfilled and doesn’t feel satisfied in her decisions - so when her “what if” comes along, it throws Rose for a loop and she starts to question her life. I may not have enjoyed every aspect of this novel but overall, it was a good story and very relatable. Every person (woman or man) can relate to Rose and her situation (even if you’re not a wife/mother/homemaker)- if you’re not satisfied in your life and wondering what would happen if something changed or if it was meant to be different- Rose embodies these feelings perfectly. Overall: 3.5 SRP Goal: 9/20 I finished Disclaimer by Renee Knight and was satisfied with the overall story and ending, though at times the pacing as a tad slow. The concept (a tad Inception-y) of a book within a book was interesting and could've gone either way- really horrible or really well. It landed towards the really well end of the spectrum. The main character, Catherine, finds a copy of a book The Perfect Stranger on her bedside table and picks it up to read, not knowing that it is a re-telling of one of the darkest times in her life 20 years ago. The only other person who knows about this is dead- who wrote the book?! The entire book is told through multiple points of view- its starts out with just two (Catherine and the Author) and then two more are added about half way through the book (Catherine's son and husband). It got kind of confusing- there wasn't a huge difference between the voices so until you got to a name or place, it was hard distinguishing who was telling that particular aspect. It also time-hopped and that just added another level of confusion because at first it started out as a memory but then it became present tense and towards the end of the flashback it became a memory again but nothing changes textually (though in hindsight, I guess this is how it happens when you're talking about memories- it starts out past tense and then you get into the moment and switch to present tense). I was very satisfied with the plot twists and the ending- by the end of it I wanted to punch a specific character (I won't say who so I don't give anything away) but lets just say he/she is an ASS. Overall: 3/5 SRP Goal: 8/20 I read Magonia in one day… and that is not because I couldn’t put it down. It was because I wanted to put it down but I also wanted to see how it ended so I skimmed a few pages here and there to get to the ending faster. I just could not get into this book- I thought the main character was whiny, self-entitled, and unrelatable. Maybe because I’m not a teenager anymore or maybe because I’m not typically into fantasy but either way- I just didn’t like this book. The premise sounded really interesting (though who decided to compare it to The Fault in Our Stars needs to be fired): "Maria Dahvana Headley's soaring YA debut is a fiercely intelligent, multilayered fantasy where Neil Gaiman's Stardust meets John Green's The Fault in Our Stars in a story about a girl caught between two worlds . . . two races . . . and two destinies. Aza Ray Boyle is drowning in thin air. Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name. Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—but as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war between Magonia and Earth is coming. In Aza's hands lies fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?" But the execution of the story/plot was done horribly. Like I said, the main character was relatable and whiny which made the book hard to get through. The fact that she felt the need to tell the reader that she was dying or was supposed to die soon on every other page got so frustrating that I started to wish she would die just to get some relief. I did tear up when she died but not because SHE died but because of the way the author portrayed her family during the process. Having lost someone close to me, I felt every emotion Aza’s parents were feeling and it made it that much more real. Though when Aza woke up alive on a floating ship in the sky, I thought she would’ve matured or at least death would’ve made her less whiny- but nope. All she wanted to do was “go back home, go back to her boyfriend, see her family.” I get it- you got ripped away from everything you ever knew but you need to learn to ADAPT- YOU’RE ON A FLYING SHIP IN THE SKY! THERE ARE WHALES MADE OF CLOUDS FOLLOWING YOU AROUND! THIS SHOULD BE AWESOME but instead Aza makes it sound like it is the worst thing that could ever happen to her ever. Overall: 2/5 SRP Goal: 7/20 I finished The Rook by Daniel O’Malley last night (June 29) and I fell in love or really strong like- I haven’t decided which yet. I had been hunting for this book for awhile (in a previous post, I mentioned how I went to 4 Barnes & Noble stores and 3 Half Price Books to locate a copy of this title) and finally got to it in my pile. I was super excited to read it but I didn’t have my hopes up- I’ve been let down way too many times by recommendations based off my love of The Night Circus and Harry Potter. I went into this story with reservations and thinking it wasn’t going to live up-to the hype but I was wrong. This story is AMAZING. I adored the main character Myfanwy Thomas- especially after she woke up as a new person, the “old” Myfanwy (rhymes with Tiffany) sounded rather boring and meek- not strong enough to carry this story. I loved the supernatural secret service- which is saying something because I was very weary of this aspect. I am definitely not a fan of the X-Files and from the blurb on the back, that’s what the supernatural aspect sounded liked it was going to be and even though it was similar, The Chequy is a way more sophisticated entity than the FBI in the X-Files. There were so many details about both Myfanwy and the Chequy but because of the pacing, I never felt like I was being bogged down with all the information. I never wanted to put this book down- it grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go! I will definitely re-read this before the second one in the series comes out. Overall: 4/5 SRP Goal: 6/20 I finished All the Rage by Courtney Summers last night. It was an intense read- I had to take a few hours to process. It deals with some tough topics- rape, death, social cliques, and bullying are just a few of the big issues. The book flap summary: The sheriff's son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything-friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy's only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn't speak up. Nobody believed her the first time-and they certainly won't now-but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear. made the book sound like it would be about the aftermath of Romy Grey’s rape, the disappearance a classmate and the sexual assault of another girl- all related to Kellan Turner, the sheriff’s son. I thought the three crimes would show the town what a monster he really is- the multiple assaults, the disappearance- all would be linked back to him with evidence and witnesses. SPOILERS AHEAD If that is what you thought the book is/was going to be, then you’re in for disappointment/shock/frustration because that is not what it was at all. Nope. Not one bit. Kellan doesn’t even make an appearance in the book- NOT ONCE. He’s mentioned three times by name and hinted at quite a few more times but the reader is never introduced to him outright. He is in no way connected to the disappearance of Romy’s classmate and the second sexual assault is mentioned twice, both in passing. Nothing is ever done about Romy’s rape- she reports it but the town turns against her because Kellan is the golden boy and can do no wrong. Everyone at school hates her because they think Kellan moved away because of her accusation. She is shunned and bullied by the student body- at one point the “popular girls” steal her underwear and put them on the school mascot. They spread rumors around that Romy was “asking for it” because she had a crush at Kellan. NO ONE EVER ASKS TO BE RAPED. EVER. High school was pure hell for Romy because of something that she had no control over. I ended up despising the town, and that was the point of the story, but it also shows how easy it is to jump to a bandwagon based on a single side of the story (not that I’m saying you should EVER be supporting the rapist) but when you can’t comprehend someone's actions- it is easy to just ignore the problem and pretend it didn’t happen. I felt the book flap was very misleading- even now, having read the novel- I don’t think it describes what happens accurately. 80% of the book focuses on the missing classmate (who used to be Romy’s best friend but turned against her after Romy reported the rape) and what happened to her- though it turns out she died trying to protect Romy from a second rape by a different boy. If I had been correctly informed of what this book was about, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more but because I was expecting something different- I felt disheartened (and kinda lied to). Overall: 3/5 - If I got the story I was expecting, I would’ve given it 4/5 - I really enjoyed Summers’ writing style and the issues NEED to be tackled- especially for young adults. SRP Goal: 5/20 I finished Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight in two days- well technically three but that is only because I had to work. I really enjoyed 99% of it. The last 1% felt rushed and inconsistent with the rest of the story. I read this book because I really enjoyed Girl on the Train- it was supposed to be a similar style: multiple points of view, semi-unreliable narrator(s), mystery, thriller, psychological aspects, and drama. I loved the mystery, the back story and the multiple formats- the story was told through four women's point of view but through newspaper articles, online comments, journal entries, narration, and therapy transcripts. I thought it added an extra level of dimension- not only did you get to read the multiple POV, but you get the community reaction to the “murder” in the newspaper comments and the blog comments. Like I said, I enjoyed 99% of this book but the last 1% felt rushed, forced, and too neatly tied up. There were multiple storylines present in the novel and I thought the ending would combine a majority of them- and it did but it shoved a random character into the mess that didn’t need to be there. After the all the hurt, confusion, mystery, and twists/turns- there needed to be some storylines left open and not tied into a neat little bow. Not everything in life works out like that and books shouldn’t either- especially ones that are supposed to reflect everyday life or could be something that happens in your neighborhood. I wish the ending could be re-written to reflect how life really is- messy and incomplete. When reading a book that is supposed to reflect life, the ending should too. Overall: 3.5/5 SRP Goal: 4/20 Up next: All the Rage by Courtney Summers I find it amusing (and probably no one else does but, hey this is my blog so I’ll share it anyway) that I read Gone Girl and did NOT like it at all but I am reading all these books based on recommendations from the Gone Girl author (Girl on the Train, Where They Found Her, Luckiest Girl Alive, Disclaimer, Method 15/33). I found the characters in GG annoying, angry, backstabbing, heartless, and unrelatable- I know that this was the point of the book but for me personally, I need to care about a character in the book or get attached (even minimally) to someone in the story to really feel like I am apart of the plot. For Gone Girl- I hated the main characters and hated the circumstances they put themselves into and the only character I felt for (SPOILER) was the unborn child of Nick and Amy because of their psychotic-ness and destructive relationship- never a healthy combination to raise a child in. But despite not liking GG (I gave it 3 stars- really a 2.5, but you can’t give half-stars on Goodreads) I am really enjoying the titles I’ve found based on the unreliable narrator, suspense, mystery, drama, etc. recommendations from it.
Take Girl on the Train, for example. I read it in three days- over vacation (much to my husband's dismay) and loved it. I am currently reading Where They Found Her and can’t put it down- I read 220 pages in twenty-four hours. I am anxiously awaiting Luckiest Girl Alive, Disclaimer, and Method 15/33 from the library- so I can’t exactly comment on how much I like or dislike those titles but from the blurbs and reviews, they sound good. |
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