Halloween Book Wrap Up

Halloween has come and gone, I went to a few bars in Uptown Minneapolis, threw an AWESOME party with some friends, and channeled my inner Louise from Bob's Burgers. Throwing the party, which consisted of finding games to play, shopping for discount Halloween stuff the day after and spending the day of the party decorating and cooking made me realize how much fun hosting parties is. The wine and cheese party I threw for my birthday was a lot of fun, too, but just coming up with ideas and decorating was even more fun, I would say.

This was probably the best Halloween I've ever had in a long time, and it was the first time I really got into the spirit. I even spent the week of reading Halloween-themed or spooky books. I'm here to give my thoughts on the books I read this Halloween season, and others that I'd recommend for next year, or if you don't want to lose that spooky spirit.

Bird Box:

This book is INSANE. My hat is off to Josh Malerman for building suspense so well, and for piquing my interest. I devoured this book in 3 1/2 hours, staying up until 1 AM to do so. The premise is unique and suspenseful- Malorie must navigate Detroit to safety with two children while the world is plagued by creatures that drive you insane when you see them.  Malerman truly grasped the concept that your imagination can always conjure the most frightening monsters to you. Scary movies are scariest when you don't know what's hunting the characters- until they reveal the monster. 

Yes, there are some unanswered questions and small plot holes, but I didn't care because I was driven by one thing and one thing only- the need to reach the end. The alternating narrative between the present and the past keeps you on your toes and switches up the pacing, so that overuse of suspense numbs you. I would highly recommend this book: 5/5 stars

The Name of the Star:

This YA paranormal novel was problematic for me, but it has gotten excellent reviews otherwise. Rory leaves Alabama to go to boarding school in London, which has recently seen some murders committed in the same style as Jack the Ripper. Rory gets involved, and now she and her new acquaintances must figure out who's killing these people and how to stop him/her. 

I had a hard time getting into the story because of underdeveloped and annoying characters, obvious hints and plot holes, but about 100 pages in, I started to get sucked into the story. Something exciting happened and the book finally switched focus from boarding school to catching the murderer. Before I knew it, it was 2 am and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The antagonist was frightening, the scenes were suspenseful and thrilling, and even though I knew they were going to win, I wanted to know how. I might recommend this novel to certain YA lovers, but it wouldn't be my first choice. 3/5 stars 

Anna Dressed in Blood: 
Cas Lowood kills ghosts, like his father did until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Cas, his mom and their cat go to Thunder Bay, Canada to kill Anna Dressed in Blood, a ghost who kills anyone who enters her home. But she spares Cas' life- why?

I can understand the mixed reviews, but I liked this YA novel a lot. The story had fun characters and focused on the main point of the story- Anna. Sure, the book had some classic paranormal YA tropes: the cocky main male, the weird names, a little romance, the loss of a parent, etc. But this book stretched beyond that. There was real suspense and tension, and though there were about four endings this book could've had, you weren't quite sure which one it was going to be. I loved the humor and pop culture references-this is not a humorous book, but it doesn't feel angsty. It also felt different due to the violence, a bit of gore, and swearing. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions 
compliment the scenes. I would recommend this book: 4/5 stars



Rosemary's Baby:
When Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into a New York City apartment, an elderly neighbor couple and their bizarre group of friends have taken a disturbing interest in them. Rosemary starts to become suspicious, but it may be too late.
The fact that I already knew the entire premise and how the book ends (sort of), did not matter one bit. The ending or the hidden truth isn't what makes this book great; it's the general feeling of paranoia. I spent half the book paranoid that Rosemary is in the midst of an evil conspiracy, and the other half paranoid that I was just being paranoid. IT'S INSANE. Levin does a fantastic job of keeping you in the dark, wondering if the plotting is actually happening or if you are going crazy, interpreting coincidences as truth.

If you like the author jerking your mental health around, or if you were a fan of Gone Girl because you didn't quite know what to think, then I would highly recommend this. 5/5 stars

Those were the books I read to put myself in the Halloween mood! I started to read Dracula, but kept falling asleep. That could be because I tried reading it in the evening, and it's slower than some of the other suspenseful and fast- paced novels I read, but either way, I'll keep trying. 
There are some other books I would recommend, ones that I didn't read this Halloween, but I still think they still fit the bill.

• The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes: a time travelling serial killer in Chicago is now being hunted... by one of his attempted victims. Though the characters were a little under developed, I still found the premise to be interesting and the tension to be fantastic, not to mention one of the most twisted, yet fascinating, serial killers. 
• The Shining by Stephen King: this classic features Jack Torrance and his wife and 5-year-old son moving into the mountains so Jack can serve as caretaker of a hotel in the winter months. There's evil in the hotel, and it's taking control of Jack... This one is definitely spooky, even scarier than the movie, and there's a good reason it's remained in our minds. Pet Sematary and Carrie were both good scary reads as well. 
• Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion: 'R' is a zombie with few memories left, but with more than a shred of humanity. When he chooses to save and not to eat Julie, his non-life changes more than he could imagine. This one is more philosophical (what does it mean to be human?), but it has an interesting take on zombies and post-apocalyptic worlds. The movie's a lot of fun, too.  
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson: In this classic novel (which the movie barely resembles), Robert Neville spends his days killing sleeping vampires and fortifying his home. If you've seen the movie, it's much different from the book, down to its essence. It's an interesting read, nonetheless. 

Happy reading!

Water for Elephants --Book Review

For a book with such a high profile and 4 stars on Goodreads (with an impressive 871,521 ratings), you would expect this book to have swooping writing, realistic/believable characters, humor, romance, adventure, excitement, drama, lessons, a complex plot, tension … this book had none of that. I cared for a single character, and that was an elephant. I wanted this book to live up to its potential, which is a college dropout joining a Depression-era travelling circus. The book was less about that than it was about two shallow, undeveloped characters “falling in lust” and causing problems. They caused insipid and melodramatic problems. Now that I think about it, the perfect role for Robert Pattinson.

Firstly, we are expected to believe this ill-fated, whirlwind romance. It should sweep you away like Romeo & Juliet, but injected with prohibition-era slang and problems. This book will leave you yawning. Firstly, it’s just melodrama for most of the book with the occasional action scene. I realize that not all books should require action scenes; it’s a problem when action is inserted simply to pump a little life into this limp story. The rest of the book is Marlena and Jacob being boring together and staring at each other from across the room (I assume). Pass. 


Secondly, no one matters. Almost every character is flat, dull, and impossible to sympathize with. Jacob is supposedly kind and generous, but all I get is that he feels bad for people and likes the way Marlena looks. Marlena gets the even shorter stick: she’s boring, attractive, and fashionable. That is literally all we know about her. I was actually disappointed with the number of female clichés in this book, which was written by a woman! I expected better. But Marlena’s lack of characterization leads you to question why Jacob is “in love” with Marlena. Does she, too, have a good heart? Is she strong, independent, funny, interesting, artsy, stubborn, adventurous, opinionated? Well, we don’t know that, but we do know she has a collection of gorgeous sparkly dresses! I think the only thing you can truly infer from this book is that Marlena is a slow learner, and is definitely rash. She complains that she married August before she really knew him (and now he’s obsessive, violent, bi-polar and jealous), yet she leaps into an affair with Jacob after knowing him two months. And even in those two months, they never really get to know each other, unless you count kissing and staring longingly at a person “knowing” someone.

"Marlena- I love you for your... uh...."

Although, I suppose Marlena is simply being treated the same way as all the other characters in this book. No one else rises about stereotypical base level. I was angry about all of their actions.

But why am I drawing so much attention to the characters? There are plenty of novels in which the characters populate the background, and the plot charges forward instead. This book is technically more of a character-driven novel, considering that it’s about Jacob’s journey on this circus and what he learns. And, I guess, his relationship with Marlena. His dull, shallow, uninteresting relationship.

The characters are either too contradictory or too black and white. I’m supposed to believe that August is his bi-polar disorder, but also believe that a tough weight lifter will drop his strong emotional façade and discuss emotional subjects with a stranger? Okay, fine. I get that Gruen was trying to add depth, but it came across as inconsistent.

At the risk of rendering this review invalid, I will submit that I read this book a year ago. It was so ordinary that I have forgotten many of the details and major plot points. Browsing other reviews jogged my memory a bit, but most of this book has been lost to time (thank goodness for that). There are other issues I believe I had with this book, and believe me, I did, but they are forgotten, and so you shall have to rely on other reviews for more details about the book’s specifics.

I can’t say I would recommend this book to anyone. I understand the appeal of a love story, but there are so many other great books with real characters and actual plots and good writing! And many of them have love stories! If you specifically liked romance and the circus elements, definitely check out The Night Circus. It has beautiful writing, interesting characters, romance, magic, legitimate tension, and more. That book blew this one out of the water (for elephants). If you liked the depression-era setting, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is very much about poverty during the depression, but it’s nothing like this book in terms of plot. It is heart-breaking and beautiful, and very much worth the read.  

The Martian: Book Review

THIS BOOK BLEW ME AWAY. At first, I didn't like the tone or the journal style of writing, but then I quickly became completely absorbed by this book. Seriously, I finished it in less than 2 days with a full-time job. 

This book has EVERYTHING. Well, almost everything. But it has everything I wanted. It had a survival story. It had a few nerdy references. It had humor. It had suspense. It had ingenuity. It was extremely well-written, and it captures you within a few chapters. Mark, the main character, is a very likable character, and the fact that he's extremely smart and resourceful doesn't hurt either. It's not that being a likable character should affect the story or my opinion about it, but you have to root for the character to survive. A fun survival story with an annoying character would not have had nearly the same effect. 

I am coming at this book with a Communications & Journalism degree, so the math could have been seriously wrong and I wouldn't have noticed. However, based on people's reviews, it seems like that math/science is correct (for the most part), so that's great. And there is A LOT of science in this book. The story is about an astronaut using science and math to stay alive on Mars with limited resources, so you have to expect some scientific explanations or quick math equations. 

 At first, there was a slight patronizing tone, for example: "The solar cell array was covered in sand, rendering it useless (hint: solar cells need sunlight to make electricity)." The fact that the book assumed I didn't know solar cells created energy made me angry, but it could've been a sarcastic comment. It was also one of the very few cases of it that I found. Other times, when he mentioned a previous detail, it was a complex and scientific aspect that I would have forgotten.

Did I mention the humor? This book was so funny! The snarky remarks, the silly comments, the self-deprecating humor... it made this book. Well, sort of. The suspense and storyline are also extremely well-done, but we'll get to that. I read a review on Goodreads that some people agreed with, and it was along the lines of how they found the comments dumb and not funny. They also made a reference to a comment Mark made, something about a rover getting a Scooby Snack. I kept my eyes peeled the entire book for that reference, and I though the reviewer was a liar until I found it with 50 pages left in the book. Sheesh. 
I didn't find that comment to be annoying or dumb. I found Mark's humor to be sarcastic and self-deprecating, two of my favorite types (besides puns or dry remarks). I have a sarcastic mechanical engineering friend whom I could see making these comments if he were in this situation, and reading those lines in his voice were hilarious. I don't think I can explain the humor, so I'll just leave a couple of the best here:
--"One thing I have in abundance here are bags. They're not much different from kitchen trash bags, though I'm sure they cost $50,000 because of NASA."
--"There are four different safety interlocks that prevent the regulator from letting the Hab's oxygen content get too low. But they're designed to work against technical faults, not deliberate sabotage (bwa ha ha!)"
--"'What must it be like?' he pondered. 'He's stuck out there. He thinks he's totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man's psychology?'
He turned back to Venkat. 'I wonder what he's thinking about right now.'
[next page] LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They're mammals! Makes no sense."
--"I used a sophisticated method to remove sections of plastic (hammer), then carefully removed the solid foam insulation (hammer again)."

I could continue, but I don't want to remove the surprise from ALL the jokes. Also, this is not a joke-a-minute book. There's a lot of other stuff in this book, but it has enough humor to lighten the tone, and endears you to this tenacious underdog. Without the humor, this book could become like The Road, a depressing slog about one's impending doom. Fear not, dear reader. This book is nothing like that. 

The suspense in this book was incredible. Andy Weir has his pacing down. It's not like Gravity, where one really bad event leads to a more life-threatening event at a constant pace until you feel like the universe has a deliberate vendetta against Sandra Bullock. It's more random and sparse than that- just when things start looking good for Mark Watney, Mars throws him another curve ball. But he adjusts, and either he or NASA figures out a solution. Then another problem will arise. However, it's not a constant barrage of bad luck, more like a series of unfortunate events (I had to) spaced out at random intervals, with varying levels of danger and possibilities for fixing. And the situations seem rather plausible. I mean, I've never been to space, but I think I can accurately judge the plausibility of Mars situations... 

Gravity and The Martian have nothing in common. Except for space. And NASA. And Astronauts. And...

My favorite book of 2014. I'm calling it. That is, unless I read some other spectacular, absorbing, fun and mind-blowing novel in the next 5 months.

Songs on Repeat

I love finding new music—it’s just like discovering a new book, movie, TV show, app, game, what have you. Songs are the easiest to become attached to because they’re the shortest form of media in that list above (maybe not compared to an app. Maybe). And of course, it depends on the person.

Okay, great, we get it, discovering new things we love is the greatest. The novelty hasn't worn off yet and it inspires or causes an emotion and. My problem is when I find a song I love and I listen to it obsessively. Seriously. I will hit that repeat button and replay said song until I am sick of it. I will play it at home, at work, on the bus, wherever and whenever (if it’s appropriate).

The real question is “why?” I know I will get sick of it once the novelty has worn off. It happens every time without fail. It’s not like it will sneak up on me and suddenly become eye roll-inducing, or that one second I’m in love and the next I’m hitting the “next” button faster than my snooze button in the morning. No, it’s a quick gradual process, by which I mean I slowly start hating the song, but it happens within a couple of days, not a couple of minutes or weeks. Is there a word to describe that middle interval? Eh. You get the point.

Here are a couple of examples in my life of songs that I've replayed obsessively and where I heard that song (in case you would like to know what I’m listening to or would like some suggestions.

• Dance With Me Tonight- Olly Murs (just a really fun pop song that is faintly reminiscent of 50s sock hop music)
• Popular Song- Mika feat. Ariana Grande (I liked the song Popular from Wicked, and this one had a fun take on the song)
• Love Will Come- The Maps (from an episode of Misfits— techno song with a cool background )
• Blue Monday- New Order  (80s song that was in someone’s YouTube video—fun beat)
• Hurry Hurry- Air Traffic Controller (the lyrics literally describe my life as I am working 34 hours a week on top of 9 hours of class not including homework)
• Silver- The Gray Havens (heard it during this video and the combination of the footage and the piano melody really captured me)
• Paris- Magic Man (Never been to Paris, though. I guess Magic Man’s Paris is my London)
• Banker- The Cinema (check this one out ASAP)
• Love is An Open Door-Kristen Bell, Santino Fontana (from Frozen! Let It Go was fantastic too, but I heard it earlier so I got over my obsession with that song earlier, and this song was so much fun, and their harmonizing is fantastic. Good grief that Santino Fontana is a fabulous singer)
• I Feel Pretty -Santino Fontana (this was his audition song for Frozen; he said he was nervous and wanted to song to sing that would perfectly fit this conceited character, so he sang this--hilarious! Again, I reiterate that Fontana is a wonderful singer with a strong voice and range)
• Let It Go- Idina Menzel (Uh, one of the greatest Disney songs from this era, because let’s be honest, Lion King totally takes all of the cakes. It’s such an 80s power ballad—love it! There’s a reason it won an Academy Award!)
• Young Volcanoes- Fall Out Boy (I’ve never studied music and the farthest my venture into the land of music was a year of piano lessons when I was in 7^th grade, and that did not stick. How do you describe why you like a song when you just like it? I could give better and more coherent reasons as to why I dislike other songs. This and My Songs Know What You Did in the Darkness are fun songs that feel slightly 80s-inspired to me for some reason)
• King- Lauren Aquilina (This is a beautiful song by a wonderful British unknown singer. She has a lovely voice and I am such a sucker for piano)
• Carried Away- Passion Pit (I personally like this one much better than Take a Walk, which was played on the radio so much more. Feels 80’s-ish I think?)
• Kill Your Heroes- Awolnation (Oh God, this one I heard on…. The Vampire Diaries. My friend really likes that show and convinced me to give it a shot and watch an episode. I picked one at random and really liked this song in the background, but it wasn’t enough to redeem the show. If TVD is your thing, great. I, however, will not be watching it)
• Little Games- The Colourist (Ah, a free iTunes song! It’s not like I check the free song of the week section of iTunes weekly, I just happened to check it out and download this song. It was fortuitous, I think)
• Roar- Katy Perry (Uplifting, upbeat, catchy, just like everything else Katy Perry seems to make. Is it her superpower or something?? Seriously, she and Ke$ha don’t put out anything original, but their songs are so damn catchy!)
• Start of Time- Gabrielle Aplin (That episode of Teen Wolf… I don’t actually watch the show fully; I watch the ones that get good ratings and skip the scenes that don’t include Dylan O’Brien)
• My Body- Young the Giant
• Cannibal Queen- Miniature Tigers (This is one of those songs that you dislike the first time you hear it, but the more you’re exposed to it, the more you like it. That phenomenom is so strange to me. Why is that the same thing happened to Gives You Hell by All-American Rejects, but not 23 by Miley Cyrus, which was played over and over again at my friend’s Halloween party? Oh, right, because I despise Miley Cyrus)
• Banana Splits- The Dickies (from Kick-Ass. Oh man, that scene was awesome and disturbing at the same time. Don’t watch if you don’t have the stomach for gore)
• Hello- Martin Solveig & Dragonette (oh my God I had this song on repeat for such a long time. Is there anything else that gets me to spastically bob up and down? Maybe Can I see You Again? –Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City. Shut up! That’s a good song too! Very upbeat and fast, and just so catchy. Also, Wreck-it Ralph)
• She Walks Right Through Me—Alex Day (the music video on YouTube is alright, but for some reason I love that song)
• Harlem- The New Politics
• Berlin- The New Politics
• Goodbye Copenhagen-The New Politics
• Thrift Shop- Macklemore
• Can’t Hold Us- Macklemore (for obvious reasons)
• Chocolate- The 1975 (again, for obvious reasons)
• Troublemaker- Olly Murs
• Stompa- Serena Ryder
• Little Talks- Of Monsters and Men
• King and Lionheart- Of Monsters and Men
• Man of Constant Sorrow- Watsky (This is originally a GREAT song by the Soggy Bottom Boys in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but Dylan Saunders [Dumbledore from A Very Potter Musical] is a great singer, and I love Watsky’s rhythm and lyrics)
• Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear (this one was featured on How I Met Your Mother, and I can’t remember immediately liking a song I've heard on TV so much. Okay, except for Kill Your Heroes)

So this devolved into just a list of my favorite songs that I highly recommend to people. It’s hard to recommend songs sometimes, though, because I've found that people usually have to discover music on their own to take to it immediately or to be sent links to songs. You can’t make them listen to it. Also, everyone has such different tastes, so my favorites are likely the bane of someone’s existence somewhere out there. The same could be said for anything by Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber and I- those songs are torture for me. Oh, and country music. Hey, to each their own, right? 

2013 End of Year Book Survey

2013 has come and gone, and I’ve read too many books to be able to tell you which ones off the top of my head. 68 books in a year may not be incredibly large to some people, but that’s more than a book a week, which is impressive if you consider I was taking classes and working (okay, only for the summer and second semester).

Truth be told, I only started this blog last April (or something, I can’t possibly remember) and haven’t updated it in a while, but that’s going to change. I only work this January, so I’ll have plenty of time to write A LOT of reviews. I found this survey on Book Addicted Blonde's blog and I’ve never done a book survey, so this should be fun!

BEST IN BOOKS 2013

1.  Best book you read in 2013?

Ooh… this is a tough one. I read a lot of great books this year, how do I choose? I think I’d have to say The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern was definitely one of my favorites. It was beautifully written, and I am aware that many book synopses have the word “lush” somewhere in them, but this one was actually lush, in a way. The characters and the plot were intriguing, the setting was beautiful, and it just felt magical. Overall, just a fantastic book. You get sucked into this fantastical circus in Europe and you don’t want to leave.
 

2.  Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?

 I was pretty disappointed when I read Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia Macneal. I had really liked Mr. Churchill’s Secretary and was so excited to read the rest of the series (a spunky math savvy young woman in WWII England? Sign me up!). However, things took a down turn a few chapters in. Maggie, the protagonist was suddenly different from the first book. She couldn’t solve a clue or code that even I, who didn’t go to MIT, could figure out. The whole mystery in the second book was convoluted, Maggie was annoying, there was way too much dumb drama involved, and to top it all off, a ridiculous love triangle was inserted without any thought to the rest of the book. We’re expected to believe that this headstrong girl is still pining over her fiancée, who is MIA in Europe, at the beginning of the book, but instantly falls in love with this other guy? The whole book was just disappointing. (I was also a little let down by Rivers of London, but not nearly as much as this one)

3.  Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

I normally don’t read memoirs, although I’m not sure why. However, Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr. was surprisingly good! The book read like a novel, which helps when the story is about an incredibly smart and slick con man. The most interesting part of CMIYC is that Abagnale is arrogant, intelligent, sly and not very empathetic. He displays the textbook qualities of a narcissist, and it comes across in Abagnale’s writing. Although, I’m not sure if he dictated this to a writer or wrote it himself. Either way, you can hear the pride and arrogance in Abagnale’s tone, especially when you consider how often he writes about his accomplishments and rarely expounds on his failures. The book was overall a fascinating and quick-paced memoir that I found hard to put down. (The movie was also good.)

4.  Book you recommended to people most in 2013?

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore was another one of my favorites, and I definitely recommended this to a lot of people. It was a combination of many things: action, adventure, clues and mysteries, books vs. technology, a little romance, friendship, books etc.  I wouldn’t necessarily qualify it as quirky, but it wasn’t your average book.

5.  Best series you discovered in 2013?

This one deserves two series- one of the series I started and finished in 2013 was the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and I loved it. Hitchhiker’s is hilarious, interesting, witty, sarcastic, ironic, silly and it keeps you on your toes. However, the one twist is that I had heard about it from many other people and for some reason had not read them (like an idiot), so I’m not sure if this counts. However, a book series that I did discover and start in 2013 was Kenzie & Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. The first book is A Drink Before the War, and it’s a PI series set in Boston in the early 90s (when it was written). I honestly haven’t read any others, but be sure that I will be because I loved the first one so much. Patrick Kenzie is this hardboiled, tough-talking, gun-toting PI with scars that tell stories. The whole book reads like a modern noir and I loved every bit of it.  (Third place goes to The Glamourist History series, which are about Regency England, but one that contains magic, or as they call it, glamour)

6.  Favourite new author(s) you discovered in 2013?

Though many scoff at pop culture essays, I really enjoy them. Chuck Klosterman, an essayist who focuses on American pop culture, has written for Esquire and The New York Times Magazine. Though he does come across as pretentious and too cynical at times, he has an interesting way of analyzing and viewing pop culture, especially what they are exactly and how they affect us. In his book, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, he compares Marilyn Monroe to Pamela Anderson, explains why the Sims game is just materialism and discusses why The Real World is meta, among other things. It’s amusing, sarcastic at times and makes you view pop culture in a different, analytic or critical way.

7.  Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I read pretty much anything, but I usually veer away from paranormal romance or horror/macabre books. I do enjoy thrillers, so reading The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is kind of a cop out. To be honest, I didn’t veer too far out of my comfort zone, and I guess I wish I had. The Shining Girls is about a time-travelling serial killer, so I guess you could say that it was out my comfort zone in that sense. I don’t particularly enjoy reading about serial killers or anything too gruesome or macabre, but despite the dark details I was still hooked. Beukes excels at creating suspense and mystery, and the characters weren’t your typical cookie cutter white bread people (especially since one of them is a psychopath).

8.   Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

Oh, so many were unputdownable. I stayed up to finish The Shining Girls, Crazy Rich Asians, Gone Girl, The Help, Shades of Milk and Honey, and pretty much any book that I’ve previously listed. However, Ready Player One was a book that I gobbled up and had a lot of trouble putting down. I was so absorbed in the world and the story that even during dinner, I was still thinking about the book. It’s fast paced, interesting and it has a puzzle/mystery in it; what more do you need?

9.  Book you read in 2013 that you are most likely to reread next year?

I have a TON of books on my to-read list (at least 450. It’s hard to say because it’s constantly fluctuating, depending on what books I find out about and which ones I read), so I won’t be doing much re-reading, if any. However, I might go back to Egghead by Bo Burnham. It’s actually a book of poems, but I think it still counts. It contained some really beautiful poems, and some really funny ones as well. I mean, it’s Bo Burnham. It’s a bit like re-listening to your favorite songs of his.
 

10.  Favourite cover of a book you read in 2013?

This is tough. I liked the stylistic look of the Maggie Hope series (Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, His Majesty's Hope). It's realistic, but it still has this simplified quality to it. I also love the continuation of color- blue, red and black, and just the style of it. The dramatic lighting and feel of the 1940s present is also something I can really appreciate. When it comes down to it, however, it's the feel of it that captures me the most. 

11.  Most memorable character in 2013?

Hmmm… this is tough. I would have to go with Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series because he’s so like Martin Freeman. He does what many of us would do if we were in such an impossible situation, but his character fits all the other characters Martin Freeman plays (grumpy and reluctant middle-aged British man dragged on adventures). However, it’s a bit of a cop out because Martin Freeman played Arthur in the movie. That could be because he was the perfect fit, though. Bernadette, in Where’d You Go Bernadette is also pretty memorable, simply because she’s so eccentric.

12.  Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

I said The Night Circus was the best book I read, and it’s probably because it’s so beautifully written. Morgenstern’s descriptions of the circus, the people, the colors, the acts, even the food was just so beautiful and descriptive. Luckily, it doesn’t go into purple prose. She sets scenes so well and makes everything so magical that you can’t help but feel you’re there with the characters. You also care about the characters, and we all know how important emotional connection is. Without it, you lose interest and engagement in the story. 

13.  Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

Strength in What Remains, by Tracy Kidder, is another beautifully written story, but also one of such amazing circumstances. It’s the true story of a survivor the Burundi and Rwandan genocides, and the ability for him to move on and continue with his enthusiasm and good heart is truly incredible. It takes so much strength to not only survive, but thrive, and Deo (the main character) is so lucky to be where he is now. The chain of good people and events in his life restores your hope and faith in humanity, and you want to see Deo overcome the horrors he’s seen.

 

14.  Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy, hands down. How had I been hearing about it and even co-existed with it, but only just read it this year?
 

15.  Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?

As much as I didn’t love Looking for Alaska by John Green (I didn’t hate it either, but I didn’t love it, and I'm just waiting for the hatemail from Nerdfighters and John Green fans to come pouring in), there were some pretty cool quotes from that book. For instance, “’The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.’” Or, “if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.” I’ve seen that quote floating around tumblr a lot in different styles, but I always liked it, and didn’t even realize it was from this book for a while.

16.  Longest and shortest books you read in 2012?

The longest book I read was A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, which was a whopping 761 pages. Whew. I would’ve thought it was The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, coming in second with 639 pages. That one took a while, too. The shortest book, if you’re counting a short stories, was The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal. 19 pages might not be an actual book, though, so the actual shortest book was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling (42 pages). I actually wish that one had been longer!

17.  Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk somebody about it?
Ahhhh! I can’t give too much away about my favorite scene because it’s toward the end and kind of gives away the end of the book, but I totally loved the part in A Drink Before the War involving PI Pat Kenzie and the corrupt Boston politicians. They’re playing hardball and just when you think they have him by the shorthairs, he gives this speech that evokes the image of a person delivering a crushing speech, standing up and dropping the microphone. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. It was so cool!
 

18.  Favourite relationship from a book you read in 2013?

This one is a tie between the relationship of the Duke (Angie) and Tobin in John Green’s short story, A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle in Let it Snow, which was so high school and adorable, and the relationship of Jane Ellsworth and Mr. Vincent in Glamour in the Glass, the sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey. She was a 28-year-old woman, considered a spinster, but found her match in a partner. They love and respect each other, they work well as a team, and it’s realistic. They fight, they argue, they disagree, but in the end, they still love each other. Call me sentimental…
 

19.  Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you've read previously?

I read a fair amount of books by authors I hadn't read before, so I suppose I really liked A Clash of Kings, and had read Game of Thrones in 2012 and LOVED IT. 

20.  Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from someone else?

I am always careful to read reviews and check out ratings before I read a book. I’ve skipped that in the past and have been burned before. It’s especially frustrating when I purchase a book on impulse without knowing anything about it except for the synopsis on the back cover. However, I suppose I read Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk based on the recommendation by my friend Kate. She showed the movie to me (it was my first time seeing it), and I thought it was intriguing. Of course, the book is always better than the movie (or so it seems), so she told me to read the book. Surprisingly, I read it without reading any reviews. Of course, I guess I also read Animal Farm on the recommendation from my friend Steve because I hadn’t read it in high school and it’s a classic.

Looking ahead

1.  One book you didn't get to in 2013 but will be your number one priority in 2014?

How have I not read The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)??? I’ve only heard good things about it and I don’t know why I haven’t picked it up yet! I will also, of course, read some classics like Brave New World and The Day of the Triffids. But believe me, there are so many others (Silver Linings Playbook, Perks of Being a Wallflower, All the Wrong Questions series by Lemony Snicket, etc.)
 

2.  Book you are most anticipating for 2014?

I actually had to look up what books that were coming out in the future by authors I liked. THERE ARE SO MANY. I guess I'm really excited for Armada by Ernest Cline, because I just loved Ready Player One so much. It's about Zack Lightman (Luke Skywalker, anyone?), who finds out this video game he loves so much is actually a training simulation program and gets sucked into this war. I imagine it's a combination of Ready Player One and Ender's Game, and I'm okay with the fact that it might be very similar to RPO, because I loved that book so much. 

3.  One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2014?
I hope to read 70 books, at least that’s what my goal is on Goodreads. I also hope to keep up with my reviews on my blog and be concise and funny, but still honest and accessible. Finally, I want to challenge myself more. I want to read more literary journalism, I want to read more nonfiction, and I want to read harder books. But I still want to have fun!

Well, that just about sums about 2013 in books. If you’ve done this survey, or just want to tell me what books you loved or hated in 2013, let me know in the comments! You can also find me on Goodreads, or Tumblr, even if that’s not really related. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and keep on reading!

Gone Girl: Book Review

This book blew up on 2012 lists of best books. You couldn’t look on a 2012 book list without seeing Gone Girl listed. A psychological thriller, a missing wife, clues that keep piling up and keep you turning the pages—what more could you ask for? (As it turns out, mixing all the best things together can make a really bad thing, as Tracy Morgan figured out on 30 Rock by trying to mix all great forms of music into one song, but I digress). It’s called a dark thriller for a reason, you know.

The day of Nick and Amy’s wedding anniversary, Amy disappears without a trace. As the police investigate, the clues seem to point toward Nick as the cause for her disappearance, and maybe even murder. Though it doesn’t look good for Nick because he’d been keeping things from the police, he maintains his innocence. Things aren’t always as they appear….

This is a great theme of the book. The book is written from alternating views of Nick and Amy, which really messes with your brain. If there’s anything to be said, it’s that your view of a character can be completely changed, chapter to chapter, depending on the point of view. This is another interesting point; the same situation with the same facts and events can be manipulated to manipulate the reader, and it gets even more complicated when some facts are revealed and others withheld. The presentation is the thing.

Flynn’s strong suit in the book is presenting these situations to you in order to get you to feel a certain way, but just when you have a handle on the characters and have an idea of what really happened, she rips the rug from under your feet and presents new facts, another point of view. While some people complain that it’s not fair to the reader to play with their emotions, I would like to remind them that this is a psychological thriller, and that is the best part of suspense. Presenting everything all at once wouldn’t be exciting, and this wouldn’t be a good suspenseful story.

I can’t promise that you will like any of the characters. I have to remind myself time and again that it is not a necessary part of literature (to have likeable characters), but it does help in certain books. In The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, apart from atrocious decision-making and a lack of morals (or any lesson-learning whatsoever), the main character is not likeable at all. In that case, it wasn’t a good choice since empathy is a necessary part of that coming-of-age tale. Gone Girl’s not necessarily likeable characters improve the story and play up on the reader’s perception of the story, what actually happened, who did it, and can completely change the ending of the book.

Boy, did this list creator get at least one thing right, am I right?

I don’t want to ruin anything, and a lot of this novel depends on not knowing, so I will end it here. It might be worth mentioning that this book was “featured” on Orange is the New Black, the Netflix original series. However, Piper Chapman, one of the main characters, clearly didn’t like it as much as I did. Which means the writers didn’t like it very much. This is odd, considering crime and drama are their specialties. They could at least admit that, most opinions set aside, though you may have a full seat, all you will need is the edge.

Oh, and you're a great judge of character, aren't you?

Rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

You might want to check out Gillian Flynn’s previous novels, if you liked her writing or suspense style, Dark Places and Sharp Objects (Dark Places didn’t really appeal to me, but Sharp Objects seemed interesting). You might also like The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, though it is worth noting that that one is more about serial killers and time travelling—it’s gripping and I have to give Ms. Beukes props for such an interesting concept.