Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

(Spoiler-Free) Book Review: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

9:00 AM
Rating: 4/5 stars

Published: September 22nd, 2015 by Quirk Books

Description: As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

 Goodreads | Amazon

Other books in the series: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Book 1), Hollow City (Book 2)



Before I read Library of Souls, I had pretty high hopes based on the previous books in the series; they were so eerie and mysterious that they seemed like a strange and wonderful dream. As if this trilogy couldn't get any more peculiar, Library of Souls features more evil villains, mysterious creatures and wild adventures than ever.

When I think of my experience reading Library of Souls, the first thing that comes to mind is the detail behind the story. The lore behind the peculiar world was fascinating; without giving too much away, we get a thorough description of the origin story behind peculiardom which adds even more depth to the plot. I also adored the characters and was satisfied with the way they completed their arcs. There are quite a few peculiar children in Jacob's group, but they all have their own little quirks that make them unique and endearing.

One problem I had with this book (and the series in general) was Jacob and Emma's relationship. They're both great characters, but the "romance" between them seemed like an afterthought compared to the rest of the story. I think their dynamic would have been a bit less clunky if they were just friends.

I also found the pacing to be a little slow towards the middle of the book. I'm used to reading books with relatively short chapters, and this 458 page book was split up into just 11 of them. Because I have a pretty short attention span, I would struggle to finish a whole chapter in one sitting. As a result, I would forget what was happening the next time I picked up the book because I usually would have to stop reading in the middle of something important. However, the plot in the second half picked up drastically that I got to the point where I couldn't put it down!

Despite my complaints, Library of Souls and the Peculiar Children series is written wonderfully with a unique plot and lovable characters. If you enjoy fantasy and haven't read it yet, I think it's definitely worth the read!


Have you read Library of Souls? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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(Spoiler Free) Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

12:00 PM

Rating: 5/5 stars

Published: November 10th, 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? 

Goodreads | Amazon

 Other books in the series: Cinder (Book 1), Scarlet (Book 2), Cress (Book 3)


Honestly, I was reluctant to pick up the last installment of The Lunar Chronicles.

It wasn't because I was afraid it would be disappointing, or because the 827 page book was intimidating; I simply didn't want these fantastic fairytale retellings to come to an end. The Lunar Chronicles was one of my favorite series, and I'm a little sad that it's all over (for the most part). However, Winter was everything I wanted and more in a series conclusion.

Even though this book was massive, the pacing was perfect. Whenever the group solved a problem, it seemed like five more would come along and there was never a dull moment in between. Meyer also managed to properly balance the multiple points of view; in other books with lots of perspectives, I tend to favor at least one over the others, but I found myself enjoying the voices of Winter equally.

With that said, my favorite part of this book was its complex characters. Winter and Jacin brought even more perspective to the Lunar Chronicles world, and I especially loved reading from Winter's unreliable point of view. However, the award of Most Developed definitely goes to Cress and Thorne; While Cress began to gain a sense of courage and self worth, Thorne put his brash, overconfident persona to the side and showed a bit of vulnerability. Of course, I loved all of the pairings in this book, but I think these two couples really shone.

As a whole, the Lunar Chronicles series is a completely unique twist on four of the fairy tales many of us have grown to love, and Winter blends all of them together in a cohesive way. While the premise will bring you in, you'll get hooked by the wild plot and lovable characters.

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Book Review/Discussion: The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3) by Brandon Sanderson

10:00 AM

Rating: 5 (thousand) stars


Published: October 14th, 2008 by Tor Books

 Synopsis: Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world.This adventure brings the Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy to a dramatic and surprising climax as Sanderson's saga offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility.

 Goodreads | Amazon

The other books: The Final Empire (Book 1), The Well of Ascension (Book 2)



"The life of a person is more than the chaos of its passing."

Honestly, it's pretty difficult for me to write a coherent review of The Hero of Ages. I first started reading the Mistborn trilogy in February and was instantly hooked to the complex characters and unique world. Like any great series, the more I read, the more attached I became. As a whole, finishing the final book was a bittersweet end to a beautiful journey.

The character development was definitely my favorite part of The Hero of Ages. Sanderson's rich, intricate fantasy world is entertaining to read, but his dimensional characters add a sense of heart to the already incredible story. With a lot of fantasy trilogies, the main protagonist(s) are stong-willed, confident, and know exactly what they want and need to do. In this one, however, almost every character has their own struggle of grief, fear, self doubt, belonging, and everything else that comes with the human experience, which was very refreshing.

If you haven't started reading the Mistborn trilogy, you're definitely missing out! You'll love it if you enjoy high fantasy novels with a lot of detail. Since The Hero of Ages is the last book in the trilogy, the rest of the review will contain spoilers. If you haven't read it or are in the process of reading it, thanks for reading up to this point, but continue at your own risk!



Like I said earlier, one of my favorite parts of this book is the character development; many of the characters came to terms with their shortcomings and became stronger as a result. Sazed's journey stood out the most to me; considering he started out as a depressed skeptic mourning the loss of the woman he loved and went on to take the power of an actual god-like figure, I think he deserves an award for Most Developed.

Spook is the runner up in the Most Developed category, as he went from being a timid, awkward wallflower to a leader of the crew and the people of Urteau. I honestly didn't give it a second thought when he was wounded in his initial fight, so when he realized that the bit of sword in his wound (along with Vin's earring) was what was actually a hemalurgic spike, I was completely caught off guard, but it made so much sense.

On the other hand, Vin and Elend developed pretty gradually, but I didn't have a problem with it. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Hero of Ages put a much deserved spotlight on some of the supporting characters, and it's not like they could become any more awesome than they already were, right?

I also found the link between the koloss, kandra and Inquisitors to be absolutely insane in the best way possible. The whole concept of hemalurgy was so complex that I couldn't even attempt to see what was coming in this regard. I think (one of) the main reason(s) I would want a Mistborn movie/TV show is to see the kandra and their homeland come to life. Honestly, I mostly imagined the kandra as a bunch of translucent Groots and I need to see how inaccurate my depiction actually is...



While all of this discussion is fun and good, there is definitely an elephant in the room; an elephant that trampled me and left me to suffer in a puddle of my own misery.

 Let's take a moment to talk about Vin and Elend's death.



Elend probably had the most tragic death of all; it was so sudden that I had to read it several times to make sure I knew what was going on. However, Vin's reaction to it is what triggered the tears for me. She was truly grateful for the time she had with Elend, but she was so heartbroken to see him die in such a brutal way that she killed Ruin, subsequently killing herself.

Speaking of which...Vin essentially took the place of Preservation. That is a thing that happened. 
She was chosen by Preservation since birth to be Mistborn, take its place, and defeat Ruin. As cheesy as it sounds, when the time came for her to make her transformation, my mind was blown. I don't really have anything to say other than that.














Of course, I can't finish this review without discussing the beauty that is the epilogue.

 Hands down, this was the most bittersweet moment in the entire trilogy:
At the center of the flowers, he (Spook) found two people. Vin lay wearing her customary mistcloak, shirt, and trousers. Elend was in a brilliant white uniform, complete with cape. They were holding hands as they lay amid the flowers. And they were both dead.
But then, when Spook reads Sazed's (aka THE HERO OF AGES') text...
I tried to bring them back, but apparently fixing the bodies doesn't return the souls. I will get better at this with time, I expect. However, be assured that I have spoken with our friends, and they are quite happy where they are. They deserve a rest, I think.













YES. I THINK THEY DO, TOO.



There's so much more I could discuss, but I honestly feel a bit overwhelmed at how fantastic this story was. Reading the Mistborn trilogy was an experience I won't soon forget.





Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Top Five Friday: I'm Ashamed I Haven't Read These...

11:00 AM
We all have at least at least one book that we regret never getting around to. Maybe this book had lots of hype surrounding it and you just happened to miss out on all the fun; maybe it was published a few generations ago and you've been focused on new releases lately. Both of these reasons and more apply to why I haven't read the books in this week's Top Five Friday, and I hope I don't get excommunicated from the book blogging community for not having read these! XD


 
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This book has had so much hype surrounding it since before it even came out, but it honestly doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I don't know if it's because there are so many fairy tale retellings out now or if it's because I'm not a huge fan of the New Adult genre, but either way, I don't think I'll be getting to it any time soon.













4. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

This is the third and final book in the Mistborn trilogy, and after I finished the second book, I decided to take a break from the series for a few weeks so I wouldn't get tired of it.

It's been three months since that day.
THREE MONTHS. 

Since I ordered hard copies of the series on Book Depository the other day, I'm definitely gonna read The Hero of Ages soon. However, considering the ending of the The Well of Ascension, I'm amazed I haven't gotten my hands on it sooner. 







3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I watched the movies years ago when they came out in theaters and I thought they were all great, but I'm sad to say that I've never read the books. I recently read Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, but I've never read C.S. Lewis' most popular series.













2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 

Like The Chronicles of Narnia, I've committed the cardinal sin of watching the movies and not reading the books. I'd like to read them at some point, but I have a whole list of other books I'd like to get to, and since I already get the gist of the story, I don't see the need to read this in the immediate future.












Are you ready for number one?



I don't think you are...




But try to brace yourself anyway...



The number one book I'm most ashamed I haven't read is...









1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (along with the entire Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling

I'll just take a moment for everyone to gasp in horror.


I simply wasn't interested in Harry Potter when I was a kid. There's no other explanation. Even if I read it now, I feel like I would just be reading it from peer pressure and I wouldn't actually enjoy it, so I probably never will.

*cue sad violins*






Are there any books that you feel guilty about not reading? Let's bask in our shame in the comments section!


Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Pixar Book Tag

10:37 AM
Since I love all things Disney/Pixar (and all things book related, of course), I knew I wanted to do this as soon as I found it on Jillian's Books. Thanks to Mishma from Chasing Faerytales for creating this adorable tag! :)



 What’s your favorite Pixar movie?
This is difficult! I’ve never watched a Pixar movie that I didn’t like…I guess it would have to be Toy Story, since that’s where it all started.






Toy Story: Favorite childhood book you never grew out of
Tuck Everlasting is a story that still crosses my mind every now and then, not to mention the movie still gives me so many feels.
quote animated GIF
*sobs*  that's because HE WON'T DIEEEE













A Bug's Life: Book that felt too similar to another popular book













Stitching Snow reminded me a lot of The Lunar Chronicles, and not in a good way. It would have been great, too, if the world were more detailed and the instalove was toned down.



Monsters Inc: A villain whom you couldn't hate















The Darkling. He's absolutely terrible, but he's also a precious snowflake that just needs a little love.



Finding Nemo: Best family relationship you read about in a book






Definitely Liesel and the Hubermanns from The Book Thief...along with Rudy and Max; they might as well count as family, right?






The Incredibles: Superpower of a character you wish you had



I would definitely want to be a Mistborn like Vin and Kelsier so I could have ALL THE POWERS.



Cars: Book where the characters go on a road trip or travel a lot



Paper Towns! A road trip with Q and the gang would be a blast.



Ratatouille: Favorite sidekick in a book




Mitch from Vicious is a pretty fantastic sidekick. He’s a gentle giant that could probably kill you with his bare hands but also has an affinity for chocolate milk.



Wall-E: Favorite dystopian book




I’ll go with a generic answer and say The Hunger Games. After a long break, It sparked my passion for reading, so it definitely has a sentimental value.






Up: The most beautiful love story you've ever read






Jane Eyre. JANE EYRE. I repeat, JANE EEEEEYRE






Brave: Most badass heroine you've read about






Vin from the Mistborn trilogy, for sure. She develops from a scared, distrustful girl into a fierce, strong woman who still has a heart.



Inside Out: Book that gave all the FEELS







All the Light We Cannot See. This book made me die a little inside, but it’s one of my favorites.

Well, that was fun! I'm going to tag Confessions of a Book Addict, Queen Fiction Reviews, Stardust and Words and A World Between Folded Pages. 


Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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July TBR

10:17 AM
Hey, everyone! I'm pretty excited for July not only because I have some (hopefully) awesome books on my TBR, but also because my birthday is in a couple of weeks! This month, I'll be reading six books that consist of couple classics, a book with a movie adaptation coming out, a new release, and a couple more that have been on my to-read list for far too long.







1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

This will be the third Lewis book I've read, and I'm excited to dive into it! Not to mention the cover art of the edition I have is lovely. :)


2. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

I've read the first two books of the Mistborn trilogy on my Kindle, but I've been coveting the UK box set for months now. Since it's my birthday month, I think I'll treat myself to it and finish the last book in beautiful paperback form!


3. The Martian by Andy Weir

This book is being made into a movie starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig. How could I not read it as soon as possible?


4. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

I just finished reading Vicious earlier this week and loved it, so I definitely want to continue reading more from V.E. Schwab.


5.  Armada by Ernest Cline

I really enjoyed Ready Player One and Cline's second novel comes out on my birthday, so why not throw it on my TBR? :D My only problem with it is that it has a pretty low rating at the moment, but that could change once the book is actually released...


6. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This has been sitting on my shelf for months and I'm in the mood for something classic, so hopefully I'll get around to it by the end of the month!


What do you plan on reading in July? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

4:18 PM

"Hey, I heard you got leukemia. Sounds like you need an emergency prescription...for Greg-acil."


Rating: 3/5

Description: Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.


Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.



I wanted to wait a little while before writing a review on this book because I felt so conflicted about it. It’s obvious from the start that Me and Earl and the Dying Girl isn’t your typical, TFiOS-esque, YA “cancer book”. In fact, dealing with cancer isn’t even a major part of the plot; it almost seems as though it’s a parody of the YA “cancer book” trend since Greg constantly makes light of Rachel’s condition.

Greg’s voice is both my favorite and least favorite part of the book. He has such a quirky and self-deprecating sense of humor, but after a while, it seems like the author was trying too hard to make Greg seem relatable. For instance, Greg constantly criticizes his writing style, his personality, and basically everything about himself throughout the book and even says the following:
“If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I do not blame you.” 


…What?


Because I am one (until next month), I totally understand that teenagers are goofy and melodramatic, but there were multiple quotes like this one, and it wasn’t long before it started getting old. As a whole, the teenagers in this book refreshingly acted normally and realistically, but Greg’s borderline obnoxious voice made it difficult to connect with the characters.

At this point, I’m going to discuss the ending, and there are some mild spoilers…you have been warned!



For me, the ending definitely fell flat. In a sense, I think that was the author’s intention; since this isn’t a sweeping, beautiful, cancer filled romance brimming with angst and drama, it would make sense that the ending would be just as ordinary as the rest of the book. After all, Greg wasn’t terribly close with Rachel, so it would make sense that he wouldn’t be drastically impacted by her death.

Still, I was genuinely confused after the last chapter because I was reading the movie edition on my Kindle. There was some bonus content that consisted of about fifteen percent of the book at the end, so I assumed there would be a few more chapters or an epilogue somewhere mixed in. After frantically searching throughout the author interview and screenplay and such, I realized that the book was in fact over, which was a bit of a disappointment.

As a whole, I liked Me and Earl and the Dying Girl; it’s a quick, witty read that made me both scoff and laugh out loud. It wasn’t one of those books where the plot and characters really resonated with me after I put it down, so think some of the hype surrounding this book is a bit much. If you want to read something that’s unique from a lot of other contemporaries out there, I suppose I’d recommend it, but I honestly don’t feel very strongly about this one. However, I do want to see the movie because I think this story would translate so much better on screen.


If you want to discuss the book further, feel free to contribute in the comments section!



Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

3:09 PM


She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.


Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Released: September 2, 2014

Description: Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.






Let me start this review by saying that THIS BOOK WAS SERIOUSLY AWESOME. Heir of Fire is the third and most recent release in the Throne of Glass series, and so far, I’ve found it to be the best one. It featured tremendous character development, increasingly intricate world building, and a few new characters that are probably in the running for my favorites in the series. However, there were a few small aspects of the book that were a little tedious, but the rest of the book certainly makes up for them. If you enjoy high fantasy with strong protagonists and a highly detailed plot, why haven’t you picked this up yet?

At this point, there will be plenty of spoilers from the whole series, so if you haven’t read it yet, be warned!




One of my favorite parts of Heir of Fire was watching the more established characters grow into strong and assertive individuals. While Celaena finally learned the true potential of her powers and let go of her past, Dorian learned to unabashedly stand up for what he believes in and made a good bit of progress with his magic as well. Even Chaol decided to take a stand against the king, and his friendship and devotion to Dorian strengthened into a pretty heartwarming bromance.

The new characters introduced in this book definitely seem promising. If I had to rank them from favorite to least favorite based on their points of view, it would look something like this: 
  1. Rowan. Who doesn’t love warrior faerie with a mysterious past? 
  2. Aedion. His constant devotion to Aelin makes him so much more than a sassy side character.
  3. Manon. Let’s just say that I would not want to be on her bad side. 
  4. Sorscha. Ugh. This brings me to my next point…

The only parts I didn’t like were the ones with Sorscha in them. I understand her role (and subsequent murder) was to give Dorian an extra push to rebel against his father, but there was nothing remarkable about her; when it comes down to it, she was just a pretty healer who could keep secrets. Come to think of it, Dorian was probably drawn to her because of her normalcy, but as a reader, I didn’t find her at all interesting compared to the faeries and witches and power hungry monarchs that make the series so fantastic.

As a whole, this book had me hooked from beginning to end. Queen of Shadows, the forth book of the series, will be released on September 1 (as of now), and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this series will unfold.

Feel free to discuss what you thought about Heir of Fire in the comments below!
  
Thanks for reading,


Annie

Indoor Sojourner
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