Hello friends! Welcome to the second installment of my monthly book update! (You can find my first post here.) For those of you who don't know me, I am a big 'ol bookworm who can never get enough! Therefore, I decided to start keeping track of the books I read and share them with you guys!
Percy Jackson And The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Last month I started the Percy Jackson books and finished them up at the beginning of November. I must say, I was ready for this series to be over. Yes, I did enjoy them and found myself reading through them quickly, but I was just ready for the end. I think this is one of those Young Adult series that does not translate into adulthood reading as well as others. I didn't read these as a kid, so I didn't have any nostalgic ties to them and I was just a bit meh as I finished this last book. I would definitely recommend these to anyone with kids, but maybe not so much for adults.
Arena by Karen Hancock
This is my all time favorite book!! I read it at least once a year. Arena is an allegorical fantasy book with a wonderful concept. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially fantasy and sci fi lovers!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Another book that I read after seeing the movie *hangs head in shame*. I really love this movie and have been interested in reading the book for quite some time. This book is fantastic! The story is told through several different characters perspective and was really well done. I recommend the book AND movie, in that order.
The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
I was a bit hesitant to get back into Stephen King, I had read the first book in the Dark Tower series and was not impressed. However, I decided to give this one a chance and boy was it short! The book....not the chance. I actually really loved this story and would readily read it again. I actually have not seen the movie based on this book, Huzzah! I am so glad I read the book first, Stephen King writes absolutely enthralling stories. I finished this very quickly and found myself wanting more by the end of it. Read it, my friends!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I ended up reading 4. I actually might drop my reading goal down to 3 books a month starting next year and work my way up after that. I think 5 books in one month is pretty easy when I'm not busy, but 3 is much more reasonable for a busy schedule.
Share what you are currently reading in the comments! I might end up adding it to my list. :)
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Allons-y!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
October Books
Welcome to my monthly book review! This is the first installment of what will hopefully become a monthly post. Earlier this year I was severely lacking in my reading habits and I was in a book funk. I was not inspired to seek out new books and read the way I used to you. It was kind of a soul sucking experience. In order to rectify this funk I decided to join Goodreads to start tracking the books I have read and organize all the books I want to read. I am constantly coming across book recommendations, but I can never remember what they were when it comes time to pick out a new story and Goodreads helps me keep them all in one handy place. To keep myself firmly planted in the bookworm realm I have started a goal of reading 5 books a month, or 60 books a year. I plan on increasing that number every year and keeping you guys updated as I go!. Now, without further ado, my October books:
1984 by George Orwell
I'm not sure how, but I managed to miss out reading this book in high school and I have been increasingly interested in reading classic books lately. It took me a little while to get immersed in this book, but once I did I could not put it down. 1984 is definitely one of those books that makes you think and changes your perspective about the world. I am always on board with books that invoke thought so I gave this book a solid 4 stars on Goodreads.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I have yet to grow out of my love for YA novels, especially those in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. These books come highly reviewed from both Goodreads and my fiance so I decided to give them a try. This is also one of the few instances in which I have seen the movie adaptation before reading the book (spoiler alert: the book is better). It was not difficult to be drawn into the world laid out by Rick Riordan so I finished this book fairly quickly and didn't hesitate to start the second one.
Percy Jackson And The Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Oh man guys, the movie does not even compare to this book! There was much more action and character development in this book that provided a lot of much needed context to the story. I happily moved on to book 3 after this one.
Percy Jackson And The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Yep, it's a Percy Jackson themed month. Future months will be much more diversified, I promise. This is the type of book series that just seems to keep getting better with each new book. I love it. Onwards.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Okay, time to switch things up. I continued with my classic book selections this month with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I picked up a well loved copy of this book at a library sale in a neighboring town a few months ago. We got an entire bag of books for just ten dollars!! It was amazing, but on to the book. I actually had a hard time getting into this book. The horror genre is not something I usually find myself reading and it took some getting used to. I think this is one of the books that would take a few readings to fully appreciate and love.
Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth
The action continues and intensifies! These books are very connected to each other and do not function as stand alone books that you can pick up at random. The story line gets more involved and intricate with each book revealing a little bit more. I can't wait to see the conclusion, but that will have to wait until my November review!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I managed to read 6, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Do you have any book suggestions for my next review? Leave it in the comments!
1984 by George Orwell
I'm not sure how, but I managed to miss out reading this book in high school and I have been increasingly interested in reading classic books lately. It took me a little while to get immersed in this book, but once I did I could not put it down. 1984 is definitely one of those books that makes you think and changes your perspective about the world. I am always on board with books that invoke thought so I gave this book a solid 4 stars on Goodreads.
Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I have yet to grow out of my love for YA novels, especially those in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. These books come highly reviewed from both Goodreads and my fiance so I decided to give them a try. This is also one of the few instances in which I have seen the movie adaptation before reading the book (spoiler alert: the book is better). It was not difficult to be drawn into the world laid out by Rick Riordan so I finished this book fairly quickly and didn't hesitate to start the second one.
Percy Jackson And The Sea Of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Oh man guys, the movie does not even compare to this book! There was much more action and character development in this book that provided a lot of much needed context to the story. I happily moved on to book 3 after this one.
Percy Jackson And The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Yep, it's a Percy Jackson themed month. Future months will be much more diversified, I promise. This is the type of book series that just seems to keep getting better with each new book. I love it. Onwards.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Okay, time to switch things up. I continued with my classic book selections this month with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I picked up a well loved copy of this book at a library sale in a neighboring town a few months ago. We got an entire bag of books for just ten dollars!! It was amazing, but on to the book. I actually had a hard time getting into this book. The horror genre is not something I usually find myself reading and it took some getting used to. I think this is one of the books that would take a few readings to fully appreciate and love.
Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth
The action continues and intensifies! These books are very connected to each other and do not function as stand alone books that you can pick up at random. The story line gets more involved and intricate with each book revealing a little bit more. I can't wait to see the conclusion, but that will have to wait until my November review!
My goal was to read 5 books this month and I managed to read 6, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my books! Do you have any book suggestions for my next review? Leave it in the comments!
Friday, June 6, 2014
The Culture We Create
I want to start talking about social issues with you guys. The past few months I have been drawn to blogs and stories about social movements and their effects on peoples way of thinking. I know that there are many different opinions on these topics and I want to be clear that I am only stating my own. Your own opinions on these topics are more than welcome and I would love to see them in the comments.
I believe that our society relies too much on excusing behaviors because that's just how it's always been. Saying something is 'girly' as a reason a boy can't play with it? Oh, that's just how it's always been. Men catcalling on the street? Boys will be boys. I am a strong supporter of living life intentionally. Don't let social norms dictate how you respond to a situation, stop and think before you respond.
Today let's focus on this article: http://rantsandrambles.com/2014/05/29/and-he-learned/
Once you have read the article please take a few moments to develop your own opinion and feelings about it before reading my own.
Ready? Okay.
This post is extremely powerful and I think it sheds light on something that not many people talk about. Yes, we talk about feminism and expecting men to know better. However, we expect this from them once they have become adults, instead of instilling respect and equality in them from the start. Don't get me wrong, I don't think being raised a certain way excuses behavior as an adult in any way. The conversation needs to have more than one focal point. Instead of only telling adult men that they need to respect women and treat them as equals, let's also encourage teaching the sons and other young men in their life how important it is. I have seen countless parents ask other adults to watch their language around their children, but how often do you see someone say the same about the treatment of women? Children have an amazing way of picking up on the tiniest moments that you don't think they're paying attention to. Micro aggresions towards women are everywhere on a daily basis. We all know that advertisements and movies are major culprits, but have you ever considered how daily conversation contributes? I never really payed attention to it. It is far easier to blame societal norms on the things we watch on TV or see in magazines, as they are tangible and readily available for evidence.
We are in the social media age, where every thought can be conveyed to countless people in seconds. I have found myself posting opinions and random things that pop into my head without even thinking of the backlash they could cause. This is not living life intentionally. This is living life selfishly.
I challenge you to consider how your words and actions shape the world around you. You may be saying 'I'm only one person, I can't change anything.', but think about the ripple effect you could have to those around you. We are raising the next generation and even if you are not a parent you can have a positive impact on the children you come into come in contact with or are listening in on your conversations. Teach the young boys of today that women deserve to be treated as equals. Teach the young girls that being equal does not mean belittling men. Teach with your actions and well as your words, live what you preach. Live life intentionally.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the article, sound off in the comments!
Allons-y!
I believe that our society relies too much on excusing behaviors because that's just how it's always been. Saying something is 'girly' as a reason a boy can't play with it? Oh, that's just how it's always been. Men catcalling on the street? Boys will be boys. I am a strong supporter of living life intentionally. Don't let social norms dictate how you respond to a situation, stop and think before you respond.
Today let's focus on this article: http://rantsandrambles.com/2014/05/29/and-he-learned/
Once you have read the article please take a few moments to develop your own opinion and feelings about it before reading my own.
Ready? Okay.
This post is extremely powerful and I think it sheds light on something that not many people talk about. Yes, we talk about feminism and expecting men to know better. However, we expect this from them once they have become adults, instead of instilling respect and equality in them from the start. Don't get me wrong, I don't think being raised a certain way excuses behavior as an adult in any way. The conversation needs to have more than one focal point. Instead of only telling adult men that they need to respect women and treat them as equals, let's also encourage teaching the sons and other young men in their life how important it is. I have seen countless parents ask other adults to watch their language around their children, but how often do you see someone say the same about the treatment of women? Children have an amazing way of picking up on the tiniest moments that you don't think they're paying attention to. Micro aggresions towards women are everywhere on a daily basis. We all know that advertisements and movies are major culprits, but have you ever considered how daily conversation contributes? I never really payed attention to it. It is far easier to blame societal norms on the things we watch on TV or see in magazines, as they are tangible and readily available for evidence.
We are in the social media age, where every thought can be conveyed to countless people in seconds. I have found myself posting opinions and random things that pop into my head without even thinking of the backlash they could cause. This is not living life intentionally. This is living life selfishly.
I challenge you to consider how your words and actions shape the world around you. You may be saying 'I'm only one person, I can't change anything.', but think about the ripple effect you could have to those around you. We are raising the next generation and even if you are not a parent you can have a positive impact on the children you come into come in contact with or are listening in on your conversations. Teach the young boys of today that women deserve to be treated as equals. Teach the young girls that being equal does not mean belittling men. Teach with your actions and well as your words, live what you preach. Live life intentionally.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the article, sound off in the comments!
Allons-y!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Dear John Green
Dear John Green,
To be honest, I had really never taken much interest in your name until very recently. That is until a friend posted one of your vlogbrothers videos on Facebook. It was one of your educational ones and I was thoroughly intrigued only 15 seconds into it, and then laughing only 10 seconds later. After I finished watching the video I looked you up. Could this be the same guy who wrote that book that I've been hearing so much about? You know, the little known book turning into a little known movie with the little known actress? Sure enough. Same guy. Not what I was expecting, but in a really good way. The next 2 hours...well, honestly the next week...was spent watching countless vlogbrothers videos in my spare time. You and Hank were pretty much my new favorite people: funny, honest, intellectual, and kind. My kind of guys.
Knowing that The Fault In Our Stars was an emotional book made me hesitate to read it. My genre of reading is usually planted firmly in the sci-fi/fantasy realm. Reading a book about cancer kids? Not on my list of fun things to do really. Well, that didn't last very long. I found the first two chapters of the book on your YouTube channel and after watching those videos I was sufficiently drawn in. The blatant honesty and intelligence of the characters was so much more than I expected. The wit and thoughtfulness of Hazel Grace and the counter sarcasm of Augustus Waters spoke to my sarcastic and sometimes cynical brain. I devoured that book in a day. Granted, that isn't unusual for me, but I have been a bit of a stagnant reader lately and it has been suffocating. I haven't connected with characters in written form in a while and it was incredibly refreshing to be brought out of my book worm slump.
John....I trusted you. I mean, I knew what I was getting into, but goodness. It wasn't so much the part where the plot twist was revealed, but the lead up to it. You know your readers are intelligent, we saw the signs in the many pages leading up to the conversation in that fateful Amsterdam hotel room. Yet, you still managed to break my heart. It took all I had to keep reading those pages. What is the point of going on when you already know the outcome? Why didn't you end it the same way Peter Van Houton did in An Imperial Affliction? Why make us suffer the torture of knowing?
As I read those remaining chapters with the bitterness of a shattered heart I reluctantly began to accept the point. We cannot shut out horrible things just because we don't want to face them. Life demands us to put on a brave face, to power through the difficult and the unruly in order to survive. The world is not a wish granting factory. A simple lesson really, but somehow still ground breaking when phrased in such a way. I'm sorry, did you say this is a YA book? I think you might be confused. I have been out of the Young Adult target ages (as set forth by the Young Adult Library Services Association) for a few years now and this, Mr. Green, has challenged and taught me more than almost any other YA book. Obviously, Harry Potter falls into the 'almost' category of that statement. Yes, I am still brokenhearted after completing the final chapter, but not quite as much as I was at the climax. You softened the blow with your teachable moments and unique outlook on imminent death.
So...thank you John Green. For introducing me to your nerdfighter community and allowing me to feel more at home in the world. Thank you for The Fault In Our Stars, which is truly a blessing to all readers, not just the young adults. Most of all, thank you for being yourself and showing those who need it that life is hard, for showing that the hardness of the world does not lessen its beautiful moments. We can all stand to learn from your most beloved Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace.
I look forward to the continued enthusiasm of your work, in both vlog and written form.
Allons-y!
To be honest, I had really never taken much interest in your name until very recently. That is until a friend posted one of your vlogbrothers videos on Facebook. It was one of your educational ones and I was thoroughly intrigued only 15 seconds into it, and then laughing only 10 seconds later. After I finished watching the video I looked you up. Could this be the same guy who wrote that book that I've been hearing so much about? You know, the little known book turning into a little known movie with the little known actress? Sure enough. Same guy. Not what I was expecting, but in a really good way. The next 2 hours...well, honestly the next week...was spent watching countless vlogbrothers videos in my spare time. You and Hank were pretty much my new favorite people: funny, honest, intellectual, and kind. My kind of guys.
Knowing that The Fault In Our Stars was an emotional book made me hesitate to read it. My genre of reading is usually planted firmly in the sci-fi/fantasy realm. Reading a book about cancer kids? Not on my list of fun things to do really. Well, that didn't last very long. I found the first two chapters of the book on your YouTube channel and after watching those videos I was sufficiently drawn in. The blatant honesty and intelligence of the characters was so much more than I expected. The wit and thoughtfulness of Hazel Grace and the counter sarcasm of Augustus Waters spoke to my sarcastic and sometimes cynical brain. I devoured that book in a day. Granted, that isn't unusual for me, but I have been a bit of a stagnant reader lately and it has been suffocating. I haven't connected with characters in written form in a while and it was incredibly refreshing to be brought out of my book worm slump.
John....I trusted you. I mean, I knew what I was getting into, but goodness. It wasn't so much the part where the plot twist was revealed, but the lead up to it. You know your readers are intelligent, we saw the signs in the many pages leading up to the conversation in that fateful Amsterdam hotel room. Yet, you still managed to break my heart. It took all I had to keep reading those pages. What is the point of going on when you already know the outcome? Why didn't you end it the same way Peter Van Houton did in An Imperial Affliction? Why make us suffer the torture of knowing?
As I read those remaining chapters with the bitterness of a shattered heart I reluctantly began to accept the point. We cannot shut out horrible things just because we don't want to face them. Life demands us to put on a brave face, to power through the difficult and the unruly in order to survive. The world is not a wish granting factory. A simple lesson really, but somehow still ground breaking when phrased in such a way. I'm sorry, did you say this is a YA book? I think you might be confused. I have been out of the Young Adult target ages (as set forth by the Young Adult Library Services Association) for a few years now and this, Mr. Green, has challenged and taught me more than almost any other YA book. Obviously, Harry Potter falls into the 'almost' category of that statement. Yes, I am still brokenhearted after completing the final chapter, but not quite as much as I was at the climax. You softened the blow with your teachable moments and unique outlook on imminent death.
So...thank you John Green. For introducing me to your nerdfighter community and allowing me to feel more at home in the world. Thank you for The Fault In Our Stars, which is truly a blessing to all readers, not just the young adults. Most of all, thank you for being yourself and showing those who need it that life is hard, for showing that the hardness of the world does not lessen its beautiful moments. We can all stand to learn from your most beloved Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace.
I look forward to the continued enthusiasm of your work, in both vlog and written form.
Allons-y!
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