So far I've completed 7 O.W.L.s. They aren't all the original choices because I'm a mood reader but this is what I've read so far.
Astronomy(read at night)- Sachiko by Caren Stelson 2 stars
I didn't really care for this. This is about a young girl who experienced the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. The chapters alternate between factual information about the war and bomb dropping and her personal story. Even though this is YA, it felt more like middle grade. It got overly moralistic and had a very shallow telling of the politics of World War 2. Additionally at 144 pages, it still felt too long. Definitely could've been a short story.
Arithmancy(read outside your fave genre)- Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
4 stars
I read Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson recently and wanted some more zany essays about her crazy life. This is her first book and unfortunately. it shows in the writing. I still found it funny but the essays were a tad formulaic where she tells an outrageous lie, and then scales back to the truth. Additionally, there were a lot more transcripts of conversations with her husband which also felt a bit repetitive.
Charms (white cover)- The Whisper Man by Alex North 4 stars
This is a thriller about the Whisper Man. He was caught abducting and murdering young boys 20 years ago but now its happening again. Is it a partner, a copycat, or something more sinister? This was a page-turner and very creepy. I finished it within 2 days.
Herbology (starts with "M")- The Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu 3 stars
I had really high hopes for this book. It is about Lucky, a Sri Lankan woman who is a lesbian and in a fake marriage with a gay Indian man. When she finds out her best friend and former lover is getting ready to marry a man, she must make a decision. Unfortunately, I felt she didn't have much agency in this book and generally just went with the flow, even when it wasn't in her best interest. I also felt the other characters were pretty flat. However, the writing was excellent and taught me some of Sri Lankan culture.
History of Magic (includes witches/wizards)- Storm Front by Jim Butcher 4 stars
This was great. It hooked me from the first chapter. It is set in Chicago and follows a wizard detective who works with the police to solve inexplicable crimes. There is humor and lots of action. I'm definitely planning to continue the series.
Muggle Studies(contemporary)- Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert 4 stars
This was an odd book for me to enjoy. I don't tend to like romance because I feel the conflict is contrived and unbelievable in many cases. However, this was a slow burn romance with characters who had real difficulties and their conflicts were almost always believable. Additionally, the protagonist Chloe has chronic illness which felt authentic. It was refreshing to see representation for chronic illness because I felt understood.
Potions (under 150 pages)- The Butcher of Anderson Station by James S.A. Corey 5 stars
This is a short story set before the first book in the Expanse series. It was great back story on Fred Johnson, whom we meet in the first book. I loved it and am even more excited to continue with the series.
I have qualified for Culinary Sorcerer and am now continuing my exams to get as many as I can.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020
April TBR/ O.W.L.s Magical Readathon
It's that time again where I must sit my O.W.L.s at Hogwarts. Due to a slump, I've decided to go for a career that will have only 4 required exams although I've assigned a book choice for the other prompts if I get to them.
The career I plan to go for is Culinary Sorcerer. This requires 4 subjects.
Arithmancy (a book outside your favorite genre) - Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Charms (a book with a white cover)- The Whisper Man by Alex North
Potions (a book under 150 pages)- The Butcher of Anderson Station by James S.A. Corey
Herbology (a book starting with "M")- Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu
The other prompts that I will do if time allows:
Ancient Runes (a heart on the cover or in the title)- The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Astronomy (read a book at night)- Sachiko by Caren Stelson
Care of Magical Creatures (a creature with a beak on the cover)- The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Divination (a randomly chosen book)- Two or Three Things I Know for Sure by Dorothy Allison
D.A.D.A. (a book set at sea or on the coast)- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
History of Magic (a book with witches or wizards)- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Muggle Studies (a contemporary)- Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Transfiguration (containing a shape shifter)- Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
The career I plan to go for is Culinary Sorcerer. This requires 4 subjects.
Arithmancy (a book outside your favorite genre) - Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Charms (a book with a white cover)- The Whisper Man by Alex North
Potions (a book under 150 pages)- The Butcher of Anderson Station by James S.A. Corey
Herbology (a book starting with "M")- Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu
The other prompts that I will do if time allows:
Ancient Runes (a heart on the cover or in the title)- The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Astronomy (read a book at night)- Sachiko by Caren Stelson
Care of Magical Creatures (a creature with a beak on the cover)- The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Divination (a randomly chosen book)- Two or Three Things I Know for Sure by Dorothy Allison
D.A.D.A. (a book set at sea or on the coast)- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
History of Magic (a book with witches or wizards)- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Muggle Studies (a contemporary)- Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Transfiguration (containing a shape shifter)- Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Review of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
I received an ARC of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey. It is a dystopian novel about a small walled- off community that lives in fear of trees and other dangerous creatures beyond their borders. Koli, a boy of fifteen finds out a secret that threatens to change the hierarchy of the community and is exiled by the leaders to prevent the secret from coming to light. We then follow the adventure outside the walls.
This had the misfortune of being read as I learned the pandemic was spreading to my country. Due to the anxiety and fear of the pandemic, reading a dystopian was not the best idea for me and therefore it took me almost a month to finish. I will try to be as objective as possible.
This story has a very slow start. While the blurb mentions that Koli will leave the safety of the walled community, it doesn't happen until nearly halfway into the book. Once he does, the story picks up and is actually quite thrilling. One stylistic choice I didn't care for is the way Koli and the others talk.
They constantly speak with poor grammar, similar to a toddler. I "et" instead of "ate" or I "shooted" instead of "shot." I did get over this after a while but it did impact my enjoyment. On the other hand, one thing I think Carey did well was his world building. He invented new creatures, plants, and technology which helped me envision the world. Overall, I gave this book three stars. It is the first in a series and I will most likely pick up the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC. This book will be published on April 14th, 2020.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
March Wrap Up
This month has been odd. At the start, I read 5 books, but ever since March 17th, I've been self-isolating at home due to COVID-19. One might think that I'd read more than ever, but my anxiety has been too high. I don't think I'll pick up another book until April so I'm going to review the books I read.
The first was Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. I'd seen the movie before but still really enjoyed the book. It was slightly different but I felt some motivations were not entirely fleshed out. In that respect, I felt the movie was better. I gave it 3.5 stars.
Then I picked up The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. It follows a young girl living in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule. Women and girls are not allowed to be outside until dressed in a full burka and accompanied by a man. After her father is arrested, Parvana cuts her hair and dresses as a boy to earn money to support the family. The writing was engaging and quite illuminating for a middle grade. I gave it 4 stars.
The last middle grade book I picked up was The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This was a fun mystery about three children whose mother goes missing after hearing news that children with their same names were abducted. The children pair up with a friend to find out what's going on. This is the start to a series and I enjoyed it a lot. I gave it 4 stars.
After those books, I was ready to get back to the Expanse series. I picked up Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (the 2nd book in the series) and was enamored with the bad-ass female characters who joined the main crew to save people from twisted bioengineering . The plot of this one would spoil you for the first so that's all I say. I gave it 5 stars.
The last book I read was The River by Peter Heller. To be honest, I was feeling a tad slumpy and thought a fast-paced thriller would be great. But this was not that. Two college-aged friends decide to canoe a river and whilst doing so, they hear a man and woman arguing on the banks. Later only the man shows up so the two friends go looking for the woman. Everything that happens afterward is fairly straightforward, no twists or huge surprises. I guess I'd call it more an adventure story but it was dull. I gave it a generous 2 stars.
Update: I finished an ARC of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey on the last day of March. I will post a review of that separately.
The first was Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones. I'd seen the movie before but still really enjoyed the book. It was slightly different but I felt some motivations were not entirely fleshed out. In that respect, I felt the movie was better. I gave it 3.5 stars.
Then I picked up The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. It follows a young girl living in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule. Women and girls are not allowed to be outside until dressed in a full burka and accompanied by a man. After her father is arrested, Parvana cuts her hair and dresses as a boy to earn money to support the family. The writing was engaging and quite illuminating for a middle grade. I gave it 4 stars.
The last middle grade book I picked up was The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This was a fun mystery about three children whose mother goes missing after hearing news that children with their same names were abducted. The children pair up with a friend to find out what's going on. This is the start to a series and I enjoyed it a lot. I gave it 4 stars.
After those books, I was ready to get back to the Expanse series. I picked up Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey (the 2nd book in the series) and was enamored with the bad-ass female characters who joined the main crew to save people from twisted bioengineering . The plot of this one would spoil you for the first so that's all I say. I gave it 5 stars.
The last book I read was The River by Peter Heller. To be honest, I was feeling a tad slumpy and thought a fast-paced thriller would be great. But this was not that. Two college-aged friends decide to canoe a river and whilst doing so, they hear a man and woman arguing on the banks. Later only the man shows up so the two friends go looking for the woman. Everything that happens afterward is fairly straightforward, no twists or huge surprises. I guess I'd call it more an adventure story but it was dull. I gave it a generous 2 stars.
Update: I finished an ARC of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey on the last day of March. I will post a review of that separately.
Friday, March 6, 2020
March TBR
Once again I will be participating in the readathon Middle Grade March. However, I am only aiming to complete 3 of the 5 challenges.
Read a book with a tv or movie adaptation- Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
Read a book set in another country- The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Read a mystery- The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Additionally I plan to read:
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey (an ARC)
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey
Salt House by Hala Alyan
Three Flames by Alan P. Lightman
Saturday, February 29, 2020
February Wrap Up #2
In the latter half of February, I read 4 books.
For a book club, I read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This story details the crushing loneliness of the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920's. The woman despartely wants a child but is unable to have one. They build a snow child out of snow and the next day, a little girl appears. Is she real or is she magic? The book keeps you guessing the whole time, providing evidence for both. I wished it had been conclusive one way or the other. For that, I gave it 3 stars.
For one of my challenges, I read the picture book Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o. This is a cute story about a black child who is "as dark as midnight" and wishes for her skin to be lighter. In the end, she learns acceptance. The illustrations were awesome and the story was good. I gave the book 4 stars.
Then finally my hold of Long Bright River by Liz Moore came in. I had heard it described as a "literary thriller." I wouldn't describe it as a thriller at all. There is a central mystery plot but it is quite slow. The story focuses on a woman police officer looking for her missing sister who is an addict and prostitute. There is a serial killer targeting prostitutes and she is concerned that her sister may have been a victim. I found the information of opiate addiction interesting but felt the sister mystery was a bit too slow. I gave the book 4 stars.
Lastly, I read the graphic memoir I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. Malaka is born to a Filipino mother and an Egyptian father and raised in the U.S. In the memoir, she highlights her feelings of never belonging to any of the groups. The art style is not my favorite but the story held my attention. I gave the book 3 stars.
For a book club, I read The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This story details the crushing loneliness of the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920's. The woman despartely wants a child but is unable to have one. They build a snow child out of snow and the next day, a little girl appears. Is she real or is she magic? The book keeps you guessing the whole time, providing evidence for both. I wished it had been conclusive one way or the other. For that, I gave it 3 stars.
For one of my challenges, I read the picture book Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o. This is a cute story about a black child who is "as dark as midnight" and wishes for her skin to be lighter. In the end, she learns acceptance. The illustrations were awesome and the story was good. I gave the book 4 stars.
Then finally my hold of Long Bright River by Liz Moore came in. I had heard it described as a "literary thriller." I wouldn't describe it as a thriller at all. There is a central mystery plot but it is quite slow. The story focuses on a woman police officer looking for her missing sister who is an addict and prostitute. There is a serial killer targeting prostitutes and she is concerned that her sister may have been a victim. I found the information of opiate addiction interesting but felt the sister mystery was a bit too slow. I gave the book 4 stars.
Lastly, I read the graphic memoir I was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. Malaka is born to a Filipino mother and an Egyptian father and raised in the U.S. In the memoir, she highlights her feelings of never belonging to any of the groups. The art style is not my favorite but the story held my attention. I gave the book 3 stars.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
February Wrap up # 1
In the first half of February I've read 6 books and DNF'd 1.
The book I decided to DNF was The Girl with No Names by Serena Burdick. I read around 100 pages but felt the pace was too slow, the author used unnecessary slurs for the Romani people, and none of the characters were well-rounded or likable.
The first book I finished was Anger is my Middle Name by Lisbeth Zornig Andersen. This was an ARC that I've given its own review and I gave it 3 stars.
Then I picked up 2 poetry collections. The first was Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky. The poems have an over-arching narrative of soldiers killing a small deaf boy and as a result, all the citizens go deaf. Some of the poems were really moving and some had weird sexual overtones that seemed unnecessary and unrelated. I gave it 3 stars.
The other poetry collection I read was Homie by Danez Smith. I loved their previous collection titled Don't Call Us Dead and had high hopes for this. They had a friend who died by suicide and the whole collection was about friendships and what they mean to Danez. The poem to the friend was exceptional as were a few others, but most of the rest were just fine. I gave the collection 3 stars.
After reading some "meh" books, I decided to read The Dry by Jane Harper. The mystery kept me intrigued although I definitely predicted some of the reveals. The audiobook was particularly enjoyable as it was narrated by a man with an Australian accent. I awarded it 4 stars.
Completely on a whim, I chose to listen to Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. This is a funny book of essays, mostly focusing on the author's anxiety and depression. She definitely has a wacky sense of humor but it really worked for me. I gave the book 5 stars.
Lastly, I finished Cleanness by Garth Greenwell. This book is a series of vignettes of an American teacher working in Bulgaria. The writing was incredibly beautiful but because of something triggering in the second chapter, I found myself not really wanting to pick it back up. Every time I did, I enjoyed myself. He is an incredibly skilled writer but I was definitely not in the best mindset to read some horrific things the character endured. Because I feel that I read it at the wrong time, I decided not to rate it.
The book I decided to DNF was The Girl with No Names by Serena Burdick. I read around 100 pages but felt the pace was too slow, the author used unnecessary slurs for the Romani people, and none of the characters were well-rounded or likable.
The first book I finished was Anger is my Middle Name by Lisbeth Zornig Andersen. This was an ARC that I've given its own review and I gave it 3 stars.
Then I picked up 2 poetry collections. The first was Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky. The poems have an over-arching narrative of soldiers killing a small deaf boy and as a result, all the citizens go deaf. Some of the poems were really moving and some had weird sexual overtones that seemed unnecessary and unrelated. I gave it 3 stars.
The other poetry collection I read was Homie by Danez Smith. I loved their previous collection titled Don't Call Us Dead and had high hopes for this. They had a friend who died by suicide and the whole collection was about friendships and what they mean to Danez. The poem to the friend was exceptional as were a few others, but most of the rest were just fine. I gave the collection 3 stars.
After reading some "meh" books, I decided to read The Dry by Jane Harper. The mystery kept me intrigued although I definitely predicted some of the reveals. The audiobook was particularly enjoyable as it was narrated by a man with an Australian accent. I awarded it 4 stars.
Completely on a whim, I chose to listen to Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. This is a funny book of essays, mostly focusing on the author's anxiety and depression. She definitely has a wacky sense of humor but it really worked for me. I gave the book 5 stars.
Lastly, I finished Cleanness by Garth Greenwell. This book is a series of vignettes of an American teacher working in Bulgaria. The writing was incredibly beautiful but because of something triggering in the second chapter, I found myself not really wanting to pick it back up. Every time I did, I enjoyed myself. He is an incredibly skilled writer but I was definitely not in the best mindset to read some horrific things the character endured. Because I feel that I read it at the wrong time, I decided not to rate it.
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