Book Talk: The BFG, A Movie And Book Review

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Book Talk is a sporadic feature where I talk about non-book review but bookish things…and today’s post is all about The BFG!

Book Talk

And as a warning, there are some spoilers for both the movie and the book!

The Movie:

I saw The BFG a few days ago, because it looked awesome in the trailers, and I remember reading Roald Dahl as a kid, so I knew I had to go see this movie adaptation.  Sadly, I couldn’t remember if this was one of the books I read by Dahl as a kid, because the movie didn’t jog any memories of reading the book.  So either I never read it or I read it but don’t remember reading it.  Either way, it was new to me.

I loved it as a movie, and even though I’m not a big fan of 3D, it was totally worth it in 3D.  I’m serious, guys, it worked really well in 3D.  Things weren’t jumping out at you, but there was a lot more scale and perspective and I felt a lot more like I was actually in the movie, and I don’t know that you would have had that experience in the non-3D version.  Maybe you would have but not to the same degree.  But I really felt like we were immersed in Giant Country.  And I’m not going to lie, I cried at the end.  I loved the movie, especially the scene where Sophie and the BFG go to catch dreams.  It looked really pretty, and I wish we saw the actual dreams just going around. But I also liked that they were balls of light.  And I really liked how his house looked!  It was just really pretty to watch.

With the BFG himself, you see how small everything is in comparison to him, and that’s partly why I liked it. You felt small, but in a good way.  And in comparison to the other giants, you see that he’s really not that big himself. Overall, it was just really pretty to see, and I definitely recommend seeing it theaters if you can.  As it is, I don’t know that it will be in theaters for very long, because it seems like there aren’t a lot of showings of it…

I also really liked it as an adaptation!  With any adaptation, there were some changes, but overall, it followed the book pretty closely.  I really wish we saw the dreams, especially since there are dreams described in the book.  I know I already kind of mentioned that, with when they go to catch the dreams, but seeing the dreams would have been really cool.

The BFG CoverThe Book: The BFG by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

Originally published in 1982 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux|224 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: None

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

What It’s About: Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

What I Thought: I really liked it!  It’s such a cute story, and even though it’s one of the Roald Dahl books I never read as kid, I’m glad I finally got to read it.  I remember liking some of his other books, and it’s such an imaginative one.  I will say that some of the gifts described at the end of the book were stereotypical, and that bothered me. And for some reason, the book didn’t seem as magical as the movie did, which makes me hesitant to re-read some of Dahl’s other books, because I feel like the magic and creativity of his books might not have the same effect on me as an adult as they did when I was a kid.  It makes me wonder if maybe I’m too old for Roald Dahl, which makes me a little sad, because generally, I don’t think you’re too old to read anything.  But in this case?  Maybe it’s possible.  I’d still recommend it as a book, because I really like the overall creativity and the conversation that the BFG has with Sophie about how giants don’t kill each other, and how kind the BFG is to Sophie.

My Rating: 4 stars.  I really like the story, but it wasn’t as magical as I thought it would be.

Book Review: Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Six Of Crows CoverBook: Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Published September 2015 by Henry Holt & Company|465 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Six Of Crows #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz’s crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked Six Of Crows!  It was nice to visit the world we got to know in her Grisha trilogy, and revisit it in a completely different way.

I liked seeing a completely different part of Ravka, and how this group of people came together for one task.  It’s a random assortment of people, but they all brought something different to the group, and they all have such different skill sets.  It made everyone important, and I thought they worked really well as a group.

I also liked seeing everyone’s stories, and how they ended up in Ketterdam.  We all learn more about the different characters, and how they came to be involved in this really big heist.  And they all take turns narrating, which I really liked.  It was a little slow at first, and hard to get into, because it takes a little bit to figure out who is who, and what their story was, and their place in this world, but once you get past that, it was an interesting read.

It’s such a complex world, and it takes place after the Grisha trilogy ends (though how long after, I’m not sure). Like I said earlier, you get a different look at this world, because of the different setting, and it really expands on how people see the Grisha, and how things are in a different place.  With spin-off series, I get a little nervous, just because I never know if I’ll like it as much as the original.  More often than not, I do, but in this case, I think setting it in the same universe, but in a different setting, and at a later point on the timeline, was a really good idea, because you still get a sense of the world and it’s familiar but also different.

I think what I love the most was that the heist didn’t go as planned.  It definitely changed how Kaz went about trying to get them out of it, and I really am curious as to how the rest of the series is going to go.  There’s romance (which has a small part in things and totally threw me for a loop) and adventure and even though I didn’t love it, I still thought it was a really great book.  There’s more to this world than I ever thought was possible in the original series. And what’s nice is that you don’t need to read the Grisha trilogy to know what’s going on in this book, because even though they’re set in the same world, they’re also stand-alone series.  I don’t know if that makes sense, but I don’t know how else to explain it.  You can, of course, and some of the terminology and magic might make more sense, but it’s not necessary because Bardugo does a great job at explaining how this world is.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  It was a little slow at first, but it definitely lives up to the hype!

Book Review: A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas

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A Court Of Thorns And Roses CoverBook Review: A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Published May 2015 by Bloomsbury USA|380 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: A Court Of Thorns And Roses #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Blog Graphic-What It's About

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it… or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

Since I really like her Throne Of Glass series, and since I’ve heard a lot of really good things about this book, I knew I had to read it.  I’ll admit, I was a little scared to read it, because what if it didn’t live up to the hype, and I hated it or something?  That seems to happen with me quite a bit, but I actually didn’t have anything to worry about, because I really liked it!

I definitely see the parallels between Beauty And The Beast (from what I know via Disney) and this re-telling of it through faeries.  Is it set in the same world as Throne Of Glass?  Because it feels very familiar, and I’m too lazy to go double-check.  Either way, I really liked how dark it was.  I’m not sure how much it draws from the original story (I am only vaguely aware that there is one, and again, I am too lazy to go look it up), but considering the original versions of fairy tales tend to be dark, and this story has its dark moments, it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the original tale made its way into this book.

I really liked Feyre and Rhysand, but in all honesty, Rhysand was my favorite character.  I’m glad we’ll be seeing more of him in the next book, what with certain deals and all.  I know it’s supposed to be Tamlin and Feyre, and not Rhysand and Feyre (and that Rhysand and Feyre might not be the best choice as far as romance goes) but part of me is kind of shipping Rhysand and Feyre.  I can’t tell you why I like them together, or why it wouldn’t be a good choice (because really, I’m going off of feelings for both things), but together, they intrigue me more than Tamlin and Feyre. The only thing I am sure of is that Feyre went through too much in order to save Tamlin, so maybe that’s why I’m not completely sold, and I’m hoping that it doesn’t turn into a love triangle, because, just once, it would be nice to see two people faeries just be together without a randomly thrown in person faery.

I do like Tamlin and Feyre together- a little bit more than Feyre and Rhysand, but not much more.  But with how things went in this book, it will be interesting to see how things are developed in the next book.  Because Rhysand certainly throws a wrench in things.  But I also really like Tamlin, and by the end of the book, I definitely saw why he acted the way he did.  I also loved how Feyre pieced things together in order to help him, and also how hard the last trial was for her.  And I loved all of the stuff with her family so much.

It makes me wonder how things are going to turn out and where things are headed, because right now, I have no idea what’s going to happen.  It’s actually really refreshing, because I like not knowing what’s going to happen to next. Probably something not good, and things may work out in the end, but maybe not?  Who knows?  There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to keep reading the series.

I think ACOTAR and Cruel Beauty are really good read alikes for each other.  There’s something mysterious about Feyre staying with Tamlin that you also see in Cruel Beauty.  It has a darker, slightly older feel than Cruel Beauty (although it’s been a while since I’ve read it, so I’m a little fuzzy on Cruel Beauty).  There’s more action than I expected, and I loved how everything was described.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  I really liked it, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books With 2,000 Ratings Or Less

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Blog Graphic- Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books With 2,000 Ratings Or Less 

I really like this take on underrated books, because underrated can be really subjective.  It was fun looking at the books I’ve really enjoyed that have 2,000 ratings or less.  Clicking on the title will take you to goodreads!  These are my top ten underrated books!

  1. Joyride by Anna Banks, with 1,837 ratings.  This book is so heartbreaking (and there were times where it made me so angry on Carly’s behalf), and I think it deserves a lot more attention!
  2. The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi, with 491 ratings.  For some reason, I thought The Secret Sky had more ratings!  It really made me think about what it’s like to not be with the person you love because of where you live.
  3. Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince, with 1,137 ratings.  I love this memoir, where DePrince went from being a girl with a number at an orphange to being a ballerina.
  4. Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca, with 569 ratings.  This book seemed very real, like it’s something that could actually happen.
  5. My Best Friend, Maybe by Caela Carter, with 789 ratings.  I just love the complicated look at friendship in this book.
  6. Crow by Barbara Wright, with 1,385 ratings.  I really like this book because it’s about a period in time I knew nothing about.
  7. Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb, with 974 ratings.  I love the combination of paranormal and Tudor England. They go so well together!
  8. A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier, with 1,185 ratings.  This book and Pandemic are good read-alikes for each, because A Death-Struck Year focuses on the Spanish Flu pandemic, which doesn’t seem to be a common back-drop for historical fiction…but it’s also a really good one!
  9. The Crown by Colleen Oakes, with 989 ratings.  I just love this dark re-telling of Alice In Wonderland.
  10. Me Since You by Laura Weiss, with 1,286 ratings.  I felt so much for Rowan, and how one event can have such a big impact on everyone around you.

Currently Obsessed With: June 2016

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Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

Currently Obsessed With

Is it weird to anyone else that we’re now officially halfway through the year?  Because it’s a little weird to me.  June wasn’t an eventful month for me, but I think July will be more interesting!

Crochet:

It hasn’t been a big crocheting month for me.  I finished this purse…mostly.  I need to felt it, and then it’s done, but so far, it’s smaller than I would have liked, and I even added a few rows.  I’d definitely like something bigger, and I found a couple of things on ravelry that are felted and cute, but I may end up modifying it a bit to see how a bigger version would turn out.  Below you can see the “before” picture, and I’ll share the “after” once I actually felt the purse.

June 2016 Purse Pre-Felted

I also started this washcloth, but one side looks a little crooked.  It would be easily fixed once it’s done and I do the border, but I actually have to get to that point.  I may end up frogging it, and starting over, and have stitch markers at the end of each row if I have…which I might do, because even with counting stitches, it looks off to me.  Unless I’m not crocheting in the same spot at the end of each row, which is what I think I’m doing wrong, so maybe I need to do that, because I know it’s going to bug me.  Maybe I’ll make some face scrubbies to go with it…

I’ve basically put my blanket on hold for the summer, as I do not, under any circumstances, want to sit under a blanket in weather that’s probably going to be in the 80’s or 90’s for the next few months, so it’s in time-out for the time being.  Which makes me question whether doing a temperature blanket is a good idea for a year-long crochet project next year.  And I’m pretty sure I don’t have the right colors (or enough of the right colors for the one’s I do have), and since I’m trying to de-stash right now, I may do a blanket out of the random assortment of yarn I have.

I do have my eye on this capelet and this hat, as possibilities for a Fleur Delacour outfit for both a Harry Potter party I’m going to, and the midnight release party for the HP & The Cursed Child script.  That, or the sorting hat.  I may get stuff for both, and dress up as one for one thing, and go as the other one for the other thing.  I can’t seem to find a good pattern for adults, but there’s one pattern that comes up a lot for kids…I’d have to modify it, and I don’t feel confident in my abilities to actually do that, especially in a month, and with two other projects…and it seems like a few people were having trouble with the pattern, if the comments are any indication, so if I do go for a Sorting Hat costume, I might end up buying a hat off of Etsy.

Books:

It’s been quite the book buying month!  On my Nook, I bought Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund, Positive by Paige Rawl, Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine, Lord Of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, and Hello, Goodbye And Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith.

I also got a few books from Audible!  I bought Interpreter Of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.  I also got Outrun The Moon by Stacey Lee with my Audible credit.

June 2016 Book Haul

I also went to a book signing for And I Darken by Kiersten White, which I reviewed here.  Marie Lu was there as well, and it was awesome to hear them talk about Kiersten’s book.  Especially having been able to read an ARC of it, and it makes me want to go back and re-read it, because I loved hearing her talk about the history and research that went into it.  And this blog post has a pretty good recap of what she and Marie Lu talked about.  I got a signed copy (and I absolutely love the cover, it’s gorgeous), plus I got a signed copy of The Young Elites. And I randomly bought Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick earlier this month.

T.V./Movies:

For movies, I saw Finding Dory, which was absolutely adorable, and I’m so glad it finally came out!  I was surprised by the number of adults in the theater, which is totally cool, but it did surprise me!

And for t.v. (by which I really mean Netflix), I watched a couple episodes of iZombie, which I like so far, but I haven’t done much watching of anything lately.  Maybe this month, I’ll start up with something.

Around The Internet:

I love this list about why libraries are awesome!

I never really thought about books being translated from British English to American English before.  But I say keep the original British English in books, because changing it takes away from the book in it’s original form.

I totally agree that we shouldn’t shame people for choosing not to have sex, just the way we shouldn’t slut-shame people.  Let’s just let people make the decision that’s best for them.

This post about what the word diverse means is absolutely worth reading.

I love seeing these pictures of libraries from all over the U.S.

It might be good to make a couple batches of these cheeseburger sliders– one to eat right away, and one to freeze.

I also want to make this hash brown casserole.  It could be interesting to throw in some chicken or something.

And when it’s not super-hot, I’m totally making this Garlic Lover’s Spaghetti.

Speaking of not crocheting blankets during the summer, these are some good tips for doing exactly that.

I love this post about your go-to not being your go-to anymore.  I’ve noticed it a little bit with my own reading over the last year-and-a-half or so, as I’ve tried to read a little more diversely.

You could probably talk for hours about spoilers, and this Book Riot post does it quite well.

As usual, you can find all that and more over on this Pinterest board.

Music:

I’ve been listening to some good stuff, I’ve just been too lazy to actually put a playlist together.  I’ll do an extra-long one next month, I promise!

Have an awesome day, and for all of my readers in the U.S., have a happy and safe 4th of July.

Book Review: The Siren by Kiera Cass

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The Siren CoverBook: The Siren by Kiera Cass

Published January 2016 by HarperTeen|327 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Fantasy/Re-Telling

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Love is a risk worth taking.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to.

Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

After reading (and loving) The Selection series, I knew I had to read The Siren.  Partly because I wanted to read something else by Cass, but also because I love a good re-telling, and I thought it would be cool to read something about Sirens, which don’t seem to come up very often.  And I liked The Siren, but not as much as I thought I would.

I thought it was a cool idea, and I liked that it wasn’t about re-telling the tale of Greek gods/goddesses, but instead focused on re-telling the story of Sirens.  We got such a good picture of how girls became Sirens, and what life was like as a Siren.  That actually really surprised me, because The Siren is a stand-alone and fantasy and just over 300 pages…and yet you get such a clear picture of the world and the hold that the Ocean has on these girls.  For me, that more often than not, spells disaster, and it never seems to work well, but it did with this book.

Could things have been explained more?  Of course, but all things considered, Cass did a better job with it than I expected.  It has its cute moments, and it goes by fast.  And it’s an interesting idea, so I definitely wanted to keep reading to see how things turned out.

I thought the Ocean was really confusing at times- She did seem motherly at times, and yes, She did tend to go about it a little weird, but there were also times where I thought She made sense.

I’m not sure how I feel about any of the girls.  There’s certainly a bond between them, but Kahlen seems so different from Elizabeth and Miaka, and even Padma.  She did seem depressed (which I understand why), and she did seem more traditional than the other girls, but that’s probably because she’s older than the other girls. By how much we’re not sure, at least in the case of Elizabeth and Miaka, but definitely a lot older than Padma.

I don’t know how I feel about Akinli, and I really wish we saw more of him.  I get why we didn’t, but the fact that we didn’t really see him is probably why I didn’t completely love him or their relationship.  It felt a little bit too insta-love for me, and I wish we saw it develop more.  I think I might have been able to believe in the whole soulmates thing if we saw more of them together.

I was surprised by the ending- I’m not sure how I expected things to end, but it was a surprise, even though I’m not sure how I feel about it.

It was more dull than I thought, and I had a hard time getting into it.  Ultimately, I liked it, and the idea of the book was enough that I’m willing to overlook everything else.  I wanted more action, and it was definitely a slow-paced book.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

3 stars, because the idea is a pretty cool, and more developed than I thought, considering it’s a stand-alone fantasy that’s on the shorter side.  But I also thought it could have been more developed in some areas, namely the romance.

Book Review: How It Ends by Catherine Lo

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How It Ends CoverBook: How It Ends by Catherine Lo

Published June 2016 by HMH Books For Young Readers|304 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Blog Graphic-What It's About

There are two sides to every story.

It’s friends-at-first-sight for Jessie and Annie, proving the old adage that opposites attract. Shy, anxious Jessie would give anything to have Annie’s beauty and confidence. And Annie thinks Jessie has the perfect life, with her close-knit family and killer grades. They’re BFFs…until suddenly they’re not.

Told through alternating points of view, How It Ends is a wildly fast but deeply moving read about a friendship in crisis. Set against a tumultuous sophomore year of bullying, boys and backstabbing, the novel shows what can happen when friends choose assumptions and fear over each other.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I went into How It Ends with high hopes.  It seemed right up my alley, but I found the characters to be really frustrating, and unfortunately, that overshadowed the things I did like.

Let’s start with what I liked about the book.  I think it highlights really well how fast friendships can form and how quickly things can go downhill.  I do think it’s more about how friendships change than how friendships end, but still.  It’s a really good look at friendships.

I also really liked the dual narration.  Alternating points of view…they’re always hit or miss for me, but it worked really well in this book, because it shows how how both girls see what happened, and how differently two people go through something.

But because you see how both girls handle things, it also made the book really frustrating to read.  There was a little bit of a Mean Girls vibe to some of the characters, and they all came across as stereotypical.  It did feel true to life, but at the same time, I found myself getting really angry at most of the characters.

Jessie: I felt for Jessie, because I can relate to the anxiety she feels.  But she did seem really clingy.  As much as I understood how much it hurt that Annie hung out with Courtney and Larissa, and how Annie dismissed her feelings and anything she said about Courtney and Larissa, I also wonder if she would have reacted the same way if Annie had befriended girls who didn’t bully her.  It just frustrated me that she had such a hard time with letting Annie hang out with other people, particularly these two girls, and it makes me wonder if maybe she tried to hang on too hard to someone who kept moving further and further away from her.  I thought that Jessie really needed to learn some coping strategies.  Medication is helpful, but we don’t see her manage it in any other way, and I wanted more of that.

Annie: I had a harder time relating to Annie, but I also felt for her.  I can’t imagine losing her mom suddenly, and having to deal with a step-mom that doesn’t seem to care about her, a perfect step-sister, and everything that happened with Scott and Courtney.  I hated that she told Courtney about Jessie’s anxiety, because it’s not for Annie to tell, and I feel like she over-stepped by sharing something really personal about someone else.  I also hated that just completely dismissed everything Jessie said about Courtney and Larissa- until she found out about Jessie’s anxiety, and then, magically, how Jessie acted made sense to her.  I know she thought she was helping, but she wasn’t, and she seemed to have changed her mind so fast.  If she had taken the time to actually listen to Jessie…maybe things would have turned out differently.

Jessie’s Parents (but mostly Jessie’s mom): I absolutely hated how they handled her anxiety.  Her dad seems like the kind of guy who thinks Jessie doesn’t have a problem, and that’s it’s all made up, and not a real problem, and that she’s just shy or whatever. And then there’s her mom, who is the complete opposite, and keeps Jessie’s anxiety medication under lock and key so that Jessie has to ask for her medication every single time she has a panic attack.  She freaks out when Jessie goes to get more and I was glad that Jessie’s psychiatrist thought Jessie should have more access to her medication.  Her mom definitely made Jessie feel more anxiety/panic than she already did, and the impression I got from the mom was that she over-reacts and freaks about every little thing.  And her mom telling Annie about Jessie’s anxiety?  Not cool.  Again, sharing something like about someone else, especially when Jessie specifically said she didn’t want Annie to know.  Her mom doesn’t get to decide who should know, and even though she was trying to help…it’s no wonder Jessie doesn’t seem to want to go to her mom.

Annie’s Step-Mom: I do wonder if she’s as bad as Annie makes her seem.  She did seem to help Annie out, but given how much Annie dislikes her and says how horrible of a person she is, it makes me wonder about her motives, especially when she keeps bringing up Annie’s dad.  It seems like she’s making an effort that Annie never seems to, but no one seems to acknowledge the sudden death of Annie’s mother, and it makes me wonder if maybe Annie feels like her mom is being replaced.

Let’s see…I don’t think I have any other thoughts about the book, so onto my rating!

Blog Graphic- My Rating

3 stars.  The characters frustrated me a lot, but I did like how we see a friendship change over the course of a year…which is why it’s getting 3 stars, instead of the 2 that I originally thought about giving it.

Book Review: Solider by Julie Kagawa

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Soldier CoverBook: Soldier by Julie Kagawa

Published April 2016 by Harlequin Teen|380 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Talon #3

Genre: YA

Blog Graphic-What It's About

The price of freedom is everything.

When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.

As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked Solider!  I definitely was not sure about this series at first, because the first book is okay, and I really liked the 2nd one…it’s definitely a pretty solid series by Kagawa, and I’m thinking about re-reading the first one to see if maybe I’ve changed my mind about it.

Back to Soldier, though.  I really liked the focus on Garrett in this book and we learn more about Talon and St. George…especially St. George, since the book does focus a lot on Garrett going back to the UK.  I was surprised by a few of the things we learn in the book, and with how the book ended…that was definitely a surprise.  It makes me wonder how much that will change things in the rest of the series.  It’s definitely a heart-breaking ending, and I don’t want it to be true…even though I’m sure it is, and there is no going back.

I loved learning more about Garrett’s background, and why Garrett is the way he is.  It was definitely overdue, and I’m glad we got more of his story and life in St. George.

I really liked Ember, and how much she is struggling with both her human side and her dragon side.  I really hope she holds on tight to her human side, I really do, because I feel like that is big part of who Ember is.

I was also intrigued by Dante’s story in this book.  We don’t see much of him, but what we do see…I’m curious to see how that plays out.  He does think quite a bit about what Ember what think or do, and I don’t know that he would have done that before.  What Talon is doing doesn’t seem to sit right with him- at least on a project he’s working on- but he doesn’t do anything about it.  I just hate that he’s willing to throw away his relationship with his sister.

I definitely don’t want to spoil anything, and I don’t know what else I can about Solider without giving anything away.  Let’s just say that I’m glad we’re getting at least a couple more books because this story is far from over…actually, I feel like it’s just starting, in some ways.  It’s definitely worth checking out.

Blog Graphic- My Rating

4 stars.  This is a really solid series, and Soldier is a great addition to the Talon series.  It’s really setting up a lot for the rest of the series.

Top Ten Tuesday Freebie: Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Audio Books

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Blog Graphic- Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Audio Books

It’s a freebie week, which means we get to pick the topic of our choice!  I listen to audio books very infrequently, but it’s also a format I really like so I thought I’d share my top ten reasons for why I love audio books!

  1. It makes my commute more tolerable.  I hate traffic, and even though I tend to go between music, podcasts and the occasional audio book, I find that my commute is somehow a little bit better when I’m absorbed in a book.
  2. It also makes my work-day go by faster!  When I actually listen at work, which I haven’t done in ages because all of a sudden, I had a hard time focusing on audio books.  Still, it’s a good option!
  3. Sometimes, a book doesn’t work in print, but it’s great as an audio book.  I had a hard time with the Parasol Protectorate series when I tried reading it, but I love the audio books.  And so far, I’m finding that I’m having an easier time with Daughter Of Smoke And Bone as an audio book than I did when I was reading it.
  4. I like that I have options with where I can get audio books- there’s the library and audible (which I love) and audio book sync is also completely awesome.
  5. Also: cd’s are nice for when I just want to listen in my car, but at the same time, I love that I can put my audio books on my iPod for when I want to listen in multiple places.
  6. I’ve specifically gone for the audio book when it’s by a narrator I really like.  I loved Ariana Delawari’s narration of The Secret Sky, and that’s what made me switch to the audio book for The Wrath And The Dawn.  And I specifically gave Daughter Of Smoke And Bone another chance because it’s narrated by Khristine Hvam, who was the female narrator for both the Beautiful Creatures series and the Dangerous Creatures series.
  7. Plus, I’m more willing to listen to check out an audio book if it’s narrated by someone I really like, even if it’s not in a genre/category I’d typically read.  I generally don’t do non-fiction on audio, but I know Edward Herrmann has narrated some non-fiction, and I’d check that out in a heartbeat.
  8. They’re great for when I can’t decide if I want to read or crochet, and audio books let me do both!
  9. It’s story time!  Seriously, sometimes I just need someone reading to me.
  10. And narrators can definitely make a great book better.  I think one reason why I love a handful of audio books so much is because of the narrator, or because the story was meant to be listened to (or, at the very least, better suited for an audio format).

Book Review: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

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The Girl From Everywhere CoverBook: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Published February 2016 by Greenwillow Books|464 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: The Girl From Everywhere #1

Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City, to nineteenth-century Hawaii, to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility. Its witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, multicultural cast, and enchanting romance will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures…her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I want to like The Girl From Everywhere so much, because it’s such a cool and interesting idea.  But it ended up because okay.

I loved the idea of being able to sail anywhere and anytime, as long as you have the map to get there.  I wanted more of that, and instead, I felt like we barely saw or the adventures that they previously had.  I get that her dad wanted to get back to Nix’s mom before her mom died giving birth to her, but I wanted more of the traveling anywhere by map. Instead, the book was mostly planning a heist.

It’s definitely a very slow story, and it definitely dragged for a good chunk of the book.  And even though I didn’t skim, my attention wandered a lot because of how bored I got when I was reading.  Pirates and time travel had the potential to be really interesting and full of adventure, and I felt like we got none of that.  I don’t mind long books (even though I don’t read long books often), but this book felt longer than it really was.

Also: I got really frustrated by the love triangle, because, from the summary, I felt like there was one clear direction the romance was going to go.  And I was wrong, so very, very wrong.  Kash definitely has a personality, and the other guy does not, because the only thing I remember about him is that he exists.

There are too many things going on in this book, and it made everything seem really confusing.  Dragons and time travel and fortune tellers and all sorts of other stuff.  I really wish Heilig had focused on a few things, and really fleshed them out.  Like the crew, and the actual time travel (which showed up a lot later than I thought) and how they manage to time travel by maps.  I can’t remember when the time travel actually shows up, but it’s at least halfway through the book.  And I don’t remember it ever being explained as anything other then if you believe it will happen, it will.  Seriously, that’s the explanation for why they can do it?  I really wanted more than that.

Things did get really confusing, and there are all of these backstories that come together in a way that doesn’t make sense.  Not only that, but there seem to be a lot of different timelines, and they too don’t come together in a way that makes sense.  I wasn’t really sure how everything tied together and where they were going or what they wanted to do.

Nix wasn’t completely flat and boring but at the same time, I could care less about her.  I feel like we know nothing about her than she’s really good with maps.  I also didn’t get her relationship with her dad: she wants to leave him, then she doesn’t, and he wants to find her mom until he seemingly doesn’t want to anymore…it was just strange to me.  And Nix…even though she’s supposedly traveled to all these different

Blog Graphic- My Rating

2 stars.  The time travel didn’t make any sense and had a horrible explanation, plus, most of the book doesn’t even focus on the time travelling.  I felt like the summary described a very different book than the book we got.