Book Haul
NO SHAME.... yes I bought more books (THIS IS ACTUALLY TWO (and a half) HAULS PUT TOGETHER)
to be fair I have very few books compared to the rest of the bookish world (bloggers, bookstagrammers, etc.) So let me just show you guys what I ordered! (and pretty much some books that will be reviewed in the future)
Let me know in the comments which books you've read or want to read!
Comments
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise by Matthew Crow
Synopsis:"A poignant and unexpectedly funny novel about Francis - one of the best and bravest teenage boy narrators since Adrian Mole. This is an emotionally honest story about wanting the very best from life, even when life shows you how very bad things can be.
Francis Wootton's first memory is of Kurt Cobain's death, and there have been other hardships closer to home since then. At fifteen years old he already knows all about loss and rejection - and to top it all off he has a permanently broke big brother, a grandma with selective memory (and very selective social graces) and a mum who's at best an acquired taste. Would-be poet, possible intellectual and definitely wasted in Tyne and Wear, Francis has grown used to figuring life out on his own.Lower Fifth is supposed to be his time, the start of an endless horizon towards whatever-comes-next. But when he is diagnosed with leukaemia that wide-open future suddenly narrows, and a whole new world of worry presents itself.There's the horror of being held back a year at school, the threat of imminent baldness, having to locate his best shirt in case a visiting princess or pop-star fancies him for a photo-op . . . But he hadn't reckoned on meeting Amber - fierce, tough, one-of-a-kind Amber - and finding a reason to tackle it all - the good, the bad and everything in between - head on.In Bloom is a bright, funny, painful and refreshing novel about wanting the very best from life, even when life shows you how very bad it can be. It is a novel about how to live. " Review: Amber Sunrise is an absolutely brilliant, funny, and wonderful girl, but this book was, unfortunately, not up to par for me. This novel follows the stereotypical plot of a cancer ridden teen (aka a similar plot to what most people would know as The Fault in Our Stars). However, don't get me wrong I actually do love a good stereotypical YA novel! I just didn't find this novel to grab my interest as well as others do. After reading so many novels, most readers have that same sense as to when you watch a scary movie and you just want to scream, "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!", but with romance and life issues instead of bloody murderers delivering pizza. In a sense everything felt too predictable for me. My favorite part of the novel is mainly the character development. Francis is definitely a brave soul, and after facing cancer it's clear he can handle a lot (like his dad!). It is strange however, that even in a first person narrative of Francis I feel like I almost understand Amber better. Amber is a great inspiration for people to have and she just always seems to have this spunk and eternal optimism to her. Francis's family is also such a great group of people. I found it so kind of them to be there for him so much, especially his mother who really worked so hard for him that her own life had to be put on pause until he got better. One more thing I wish was expanded on more was the cancer itself. There was a lot of mentioning of days in bed, but it almost seemed to completely push away the pain of cancer to the side. It was strange to read this novel seeming as if cancer is just a lack of hair and going to the restroom at night to puke. Yes, this is just a YA novel so clearly all the details won't be found in the book, but it was just something I thought could be portrayed more accurately. I could almost see this becoming a better movie than it is a book. The scenes that float in my mind seem to wish to see more detail of what's actually going on than just the words that are in the book. (this is just my opinion however.) Cover: ★★★★☆ Favorite Quote(s): "She was designed for color and movement. She was not a girl born for the click of the camera's lens. No device could capture her, the way she was, the way she was meant to be. She was not born to be still or stationary. WIthout her color she was broken, a faulty image that could never be fixed. Without her voice she was nothing." " 'Do you know the best things about stars?' 'What?' 'They're all dead, but we can still see them. When we look up it's like we're looking up at a million different memories, a million different versions of something that sued to be. That's not romantic either; it's just science.' 'It is a bit romantic,' I tried to argue. 'No, it's not,' she said. 'It's real, and that's what's important.' " Thanksgiving
It's Thanksgiving here for us in America and I would like to take this chance to just let you guys know of things I am thankful for:
1) YOU - Thank you for all the support and amazingness (you deserve everything you've ever dreamed of) 2) the bookstagram community - If you are from the bookstagram community THANK YOU SO MUCH because you guys might be some of the nicest and most positive people I have ever met! 3)Family and Friends - They probably won't see this, but thanks for being there for me all the time (even when I'm weird) it means a lot! 4) BOOKS- ahah no explanation needed 5) animals - I really want a dog in my life (or a cat no judgement) 6) book fandoms- It's really crazy to think that even when you don't know someone you can both be Harry Potter fans or love SJMaas. (I LOVE IT) 7) Food- seriously though, it's great you should try it sometime 8) EVERYTHING- It can be hard to believe, but I really am SO grateful for all that I have, because not everyone is as fortunate. The chance that this small teen (me) can find such an amazing group of people with the same passion is something that only happens in our world and I'm so thankful to be living in this time and I can't wait to see where we grow from here. I'm also so grateful for a roof over my head, clothes, food, and the fact I can keep on growing my small book collection with a group of amazing people. Again, thanks so much!
Let me know in the comments what you are thankful for!
The Missing Crimoire by Robin Puelma
Title: The Missing Crimoire
Author: Robin Puelma Series: Standalone (I believe?) Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Pages: 300 Publisher:Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Rating:★★★★☆ (If I were younger) ★★★☆☆ (2.5 for young adult readers)
*This book is written by my english teacher's friend but this will not affect my honest review (first time I ever wrote that)*
Synopsis:"Twelve-year-old Luke Cedrus lives in the most un-magical place (an adoption ward), under the authority of the most un-magical person (Mrs. Hall), believing only un-magical things happen to him (detention). Until one night, Luke discovers he is anything but un-magical. He is a keeper of magic. The one thing Luke wants in life? Family. With his new magical powers, he's convinced he can have just that. Or can he? Immediately, life flips upside-down as in one night, he must escape from the ward to save his life and learns that his mother is dead and his father is wanted for the murder of a powerful keeper. Now, engulfed by his new magical surroundings, Luke faces ridicule and ultimate danger for the actions of his father. Plus, after discovering an evil keeper's secret plot to dominate keepers everywhere, Luke is thrust into an adventure well beyond his years. It'll take the help of his new friends, magical key, and sheer belief in himself to tackle the terrors facing the keeper world. And discover what family truly means." Review: This review will be slightly different because I could see my younger self really enjoying this whereas older readers may not. I'll start off with what my younger self would say. This book was A BLAST. There was action, magic, drama and everything you needed in a book! The key idea was really cool! I also really enjoyed Luke's character, background story and his entrance to his new life. His race to stop evil was full of adventure, mischief, friendship, and family. There were many plot twists (I'm assuming my younger self probably wouldn't be able to predict anything..) that I couldn't see coming! I would really recommend this book to anyone who loves magic and adventure! As an older reader, I found this book way too similar to Harry Potter. Luke, the main character, lost both his parents got sent into a magical world in practically a split second. There he befriended a boy and a girl and there were magical competitions involving lakes and his famous blood helped him through a lot. There was even a boy who hated him for his father and his blood... (Malfoy pretty much). However, even with this slight problem and this book clearly being aimed towards younger readers, I have to say that I did want to finish this book! Yes, it would have been better reading this book a couple years back, but it wasn't a bad read even now. I also found this book very predictable, again a problem that I probably wouldn't have faced if I read it a couple years back, but I was pretty much able to predict the two largest things that would happen by page 100 or before. Overall, I really would recommend this book to younger readers, but even as an older reader I found the urge to keep on reading. As you can see I have two ratings one for younger readers and one for older readers! Cover: ★★★★★ (cool art!) The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
Synopsis:"The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one. Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life. When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . ." Review: This book is great read for the summer (ahh summer is almost over where has the time gone?!) and although I don't know if it was intentional, this novel was pretty much a contemporary retelling of the Little Mermaid. From the mermaid hunting, seashell necklace, lack of voice, multiple sisters, and a sort of prince charming, this sounds quite familiar no? I actually read this book all in one day, so I would say that this book is pretty easy to read and get through. However, it wasn't one of the best contemporary books I've read. I just found the romance in this novel to be both unrealistic (because um he was dating someone else and that girl didn't even care?!). The main reason I took off stars was because of the ending. It just didn't answer to my endless curiosity and because it's a standalone I guess I'll never find out certain things! It did have the main questions answered but others were not (and it was on purpose) but I did not like guessing the ending. Overall, I did enjoy this book and the way it connected to the Little Mermaid. My favorite part of this novel was Elyse, as a character and her adventure throughout this story. She is actually a twin, (there are so many twins in YA?) and so am I, if you didn't know, so I found a sort of connection with her. Elyse is a girl who was on her way to becoming a famous singer, but tragically loses her voice. It was incredible to see her journey from shying away and into accepting herself. The message this book sent was an inspiring one and I thought that was really great to take away from this novel. Cover: ★★★★☆ Favorite Quote(s): "There were lots of ways to lose your voice." |
Stephanie C.A fan of anything fiction, furry, & fun. Archives
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