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Blondie and Read

Storm of Swords -

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

Once again, so good. I'm not going to lie, though. The middle dragged and dragged, and I zoned in and out a lot. That ending doe... !!!!! So great. Much intense. Very GoT.

Out of Darkness -

Out of Darkness (Fiction - Young Adult) - Ashley Hope Pérez

This book broke me.

 

It ripped my heart out and forced me to watch.

 

Maybe some day I'll have coherent thoughts to write up a real review, but not right now. For now I'm just going to mope around and have hardcore book hangover.

 

Willreviewonceheartgrowsback.

 

Recommend.

Adulthood is a Myth -

Adulthood is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection - Sarah Andersen

This set of comics is my life. Sarah looked at me and put all the things into comic form. I loved every snippet of this collection. Highly recommend to New Adults/late-teens. It speaks to me!

Paper Girls -

Paper Girls Volume 1 - Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang

I'm at the point where anything that Michael K. Vaughan puts out, I'm going to read it (and love it). I was compelled from the very beginning. While this is just an intro, of sorts, I cannot wait to have the second issue in my grubby hands. 

 

As always, the character development is on point. The storyline is amazing. The commentary includes everything from LGBTQ to big corporations to just being a girl. Loved every second of it.

 

Recommend!

Clash of Kings -

A Clash of Kings - George R.R. Martin

I feel like everyone has already said what I would say.

 

This book was just everything I wanted. Starting on Storm of Swords immediately.

The Call -

The Call - Peadar Ó Guilín

I didn't know anything about this book before I picked it up. I just saw that it was written by an Irish author and the cover looked cool. (Yes, I judged.)

 

It was actually pretty good. The concept was not something that I had read before. I also enjoyed that an Irish author wrote about something that takes place in Ireland. I've only read one book prior to this one by an Irish author - first YA Irish author. (How many times can I say Irish/Ireland??)

 

I've read other reviews and listened to "recaps" on Youtube and lots of people are categorizing this as horror. I guess. It's ... the basis of a horror film. Creatures calling humans to their world and killing/mutating them as revenge. I, however, didn't read it as a scary book. I'm not sure how I read it... maybe more of a dystopian fantasy? Not scary. I wasn't scared to read this at night, and I'm a big baby when it comes to horror.

 

The main character has polio, which adds another level of "I'm different". I liked it. It didn't challenge how I think. The romance wasn't the front and center. In fact, I could have done without the minor hint of romance. I wasn't super connected to any of the characters, but that doesn't mean they weren't "real".

 

I do recommend this book.

Moloka'i -

Moloka'i (Moloka'i #1) - Alan Brennert

This was a book we picked for book club. It has been suggested we read and discuss it for more than a year, and we've finally gotten around to it.

 

I'm not a big reader of Historical Fiction, let alone a reader of Historical Fiction that doesn't revolve around a war. This might even be my first adult experience. (Yes, I've read Little House on the Prairie, don't even front.)

 

I liked this book. It wasn't life changing for me, but I'm semi-glad I read it. Leprosy is not a subject that I've read a lot about. The Hawaiian culture, pre-US, is not a culture I've read a lot about either. This was a nice pick to diversify our reading choices.

 

The story follows Rachel's life. Her whole life, from the time she's a wee one to after her death. There's a lot of historical landmarks that take place in this time period: moving pictures, appliances, WWII, air planes, etc.

 

There were hints of emotion when it came to Rachel, but it was discussed in book club, that Rachel is more like our camera. We're getting the whole picture from her. It was decided among a couple people that the story would have been more interesting and well-rounded if there were multiple narrators and if the time jumped a bit. (This brought on the discussion of how multiple narrators weren't really a "thing" in the 2000s, but it's all the rage in the 2010s.)

 

It's well-written. I appreciate the amount of research the author seemingly put into this book. That being said, we also talked about the author being a white male writing about a Hawaiian female with Leprosy and the effectiveness on this.

 

I do recommend if you like books about people. Just a warning: the copy I had had small margins and little print, so it went a little slower than I wanted. However, I was able to finish this book in under two weeks. (I didn't read it every day.)

 

This book is great for a book discussion book: There are questions in the back of the book to spark conversation. There's also a ton to talk about without being prompted. Lots of themes, characters, and viewpoints that could ignite interesting banter.

Ghosts -

Ghosts - Raina Telgemeier, Raina Telgemeier

I read this book after reading an article on the lack of diversity of main characters in children's books. While the article focused mostly on younger kids books, I feel like this one falls in the spectrum.

 

Touching on Day of the Dead, ofrendas, cystic fibrosis, moving to a new city, and a tiny bit of white washing the mother went through as a kid. 

 

I really enjoyed this book. It's a really quick read, and surprisingly emotional - Much deeper than I was expecting.

 

Definitely recommend this book for the younger audience. (Middle grade)

Battle of the Labyrinth

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) - Rick Riordan

I just don't think I'm getting what all the hype about these books are. I went into this series knowing that it was huge. I went into this series knowing that it's a basis for a lot of readers today.

 

Maybe because I read the Harry Potter series and grew up with that, that this one just doesn't do it for me. I love the mythology weaved into the stories. I love Percy Jackson, but something is just not clicking with me.

 

I'll finish this series, but might not move on to the following ones.

 

I know this book isn't created for my age group. Maybe if I had read this at a younger age, I would like it more. 

 

Meh.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel - Bryn Greenwood

This book destroyed everything I thought about love, family, and life. It chipped away at me, page by page, and then rebuilt me in a completely different fashion in the conclusion.

 

I went into this book knowing nothing. I just liked the title and the cover. Yes, I judged a book by the cover. I like ugly and dark and devastating when it comes to my books. This book did not disappoint.

 

Wavy is a character unlike any other I have read about. She isn't one that I can associate with easily, but I loved hearing from her side. The different perspectives on what was happening made the plot flow effortlessly, while still getting difference of opinions. You can get sucked in to how something looks up close, and then get an outsiders view and understand both to the fullest.

 

There are times when I could have cried, but I put the book down several times to stop myself. I needed a breather. This book deals with heavy subject matters, and a little air was nice. I don't want to go too much into, well, anything. I want you to experience the book the same way I did. Go in blind.

 

I definitely recommend.

Vanishing Girls

Vanishing Girls - Lauren Oliver

I kept forgetting to post about this book, which shows just how forgettable it is. I didn't finish it at all. The only reason I read as much as I did was because I needed something to read at night to make myself fall asleep. That, and because I was waiting for a book to come in from the library.

 

The characters were bland. The "romance" was just plain stupid. I thought it was going to be a somewhat thriller, but even the missing girl references weren't enough to keep me reading. 

 

It's very possible that I didn't read far enough to become enticed. It's also possible the story picks up and there's an insane twist, but I just don't care.

 

It would have been way better if the focus was on the missing girls and their life/story than these people.

 

Do not recommend.

Yessssss!!
Reblogged from Dilettante:

The Girls

The Girls: A Novel - Emma Cline

I had no idea what this book was about. I saw the cover; I saw the colors; I saw that it was about girls. This was all I needed in order to check it out.

 

Whelp. Definitely a ton of Manson feels. Looking back at the title, there's even a mark on the forehead. No, it's not a swastika, but definite Manson nod. The psychology behind it is super similar to the psychology instilled in the women under Manson's spell. Read up on Sadie Atkins. Or, just listen to the Alkaline Trio song, "Sadie". (There's an audio bit from her.)

 

I love a good psych book. This book could have definitely moved faster for me. It also didn't have to be so... so... overwritten? I think it could have been a little more straight forward, especially for the tone that Cline was aiming at.

 

Overall a good book and would recommend.

Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan

This was was just ok for me. It might have been that I just wasn't feelin' it for a Percy Jackson adventure right now. I didn't really feel connected to the story. I'm not saying that nothing happened or that the writing style drastically changed. A lot, actually, happened. And I still enjoy Percy as a character.

 

I think I just wasn't dedicated to this one from the start. My attention faded in and out. I will keep going with the series, but I liked the Sea Monsters better. We'll .... sea....

Crown of Midnight

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas

Since this book is the second of a series, I was ready to completely dislike it and move on to the next book quickly. I definitely got through this book fast, but not because it was horrible. There was so much going on! It's rare that I like a second book in a series, and it's even rare-r that I like it better than the first -  This is the exception.

 

This book gripped me and wouldn't let go. I read it in just a couple days (and it would have been faster if I didn't have to do things like go to work). I ate it all up - om nom nom. The fantasy is much better in this book and actually became a huge part of the plot, rather than just a footnote in Maas' world.

 

I was tricked. I felt warm and fuzzy. I was worried. I was right there with Celaena and the whole gang. The revealings made me hungry for more. I'm so happy this is more than just a trilogy and it won't be over with one more book. I'm ready!

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

I haven't seen any of the show on purpose. I knew it would be something that I would be immediately obsessed with. I also wanted to read the books, and by promising myself I could watch the show after reading, I knew I'd get to it faster.

 

I really enjoyed this book. The main reason why this isn't five-star rated is because I had a really hard time keeping characters, relationships, and houses straight. I understand this to be a common thing that readers (and watchers) experience. That, to me, was the only downfall.

 

The writing is insane - world creation is just beyond amazing. I really loved the relationship between Daenarys and Kahl. Jon Snow and Ghost are probably my favorite though, closely followed by Tyrion. I don't have a lot to say, especially since it's likely already been said by other reviewers. I'll definitely keep reading this series!

 

I did this as an Audio.