Intimidating Books

Recently, a friend recommended me a book that would normally be considered 'intimidating'. The book is 933 pages, in the adult genre and by Stephen King. In case you haven't guessed, the book I am speaking of is Needful Things.

However, when my friend originally recommended me this book I only knew the name, a brief synopsis and the author. I had no knowledge of the page count. Once my friend had finished explaining what the book was about, I instantly knew it was something I wanted to read. I felt excited about the book and judged it solely on its synopsis.

At this point, I went into the local bookshop, in search of Needful Things but, to my dismay, the store did not have a copy in stock. I then opted to order the book in so I could read it as soon as possible. The book arrived after a week or so and I was so eager to read it that I even dragged another one of my friends (who does not read at ALL) to the bookstore on a Saturday afternoon.

I walked up to the counter, requested my order and handed over twenty-three dollars in exchange for the book. I put the book in my bag and continued shopping with my non-reader friend before going home and eagerly opening up the brown paper bag containing Needful Things.

I then made a discovery that many teen readers would find shocking and daunting. As I do with all books I buy, I looked to the back to discover the page count. 933 pages. Wow!

I sat in my bedroom, expecting feelings of nervousness and intimidation to set in but, partially to my surprise, they did not. Over the week or so leading up to Needful Things arriving in the local bookstore I had been highly anticipating its arrival. I realised that the concept of the book and plot coupled with the prospect of my first Stephen King novel outweighed idea of a 933 page novel.

I have started Needful Things and am 86 pages in. (I received it yesterday and had to finish the book I was currently reading in order to begin.) I'm already finding it intoxicatingly brilliant and cannot wait to finish the book. When I finish, this will be the longest book I have ever read. It does not scare me at all. Needful Things is a book I want to read and it is as simple as that.

~Jess

Life Update

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been on my blog in a while. I have had to focus on life outside of blogging but I am please to say that I am back! Please feel free to request any posts you would like to see here and I would be happy to do my best! I hope are all well and I look forward to posting again in the next few days! ~Jess

The Crown by Kiera Cass

The Crown by Kiera Cass is the final book in the Selection trilogy turned series. Let me start with a quick side note: I did not go into this book with high expectations yet, somehow, Kiera Cass has managed to disappoint me. Hence, if you are a HUGE fan of the Selection series I suggest that this review is probably not for you. Please also understand that everything discussed here are my own personal opinions and are, by no means, yours. If you love this book/series, please go on doing so. All books deserve love and I am happy you have found enjoyment in this particular novel. My thoughts and opinions are, by no means to offend or hurt anyone and everything included in this review is completely honest. That being said, if you’re still reading, let the review begin!

The reason I continued reading this series is because (a) I wanted to see the final result and (b) I have several friends who want to borrow my copy of The Crown after me. The plot was the main element of this novel that was keeping me entertained. However, I found that the thin plot was propped up on a crutch of melodramatic clichés and anti-feminist stereotypes. Everything that occurred in this novel was stereotypical and predictable. The worst element of the plot, however, was the fact that every single event occurring prior to the decision of the selection winner was filler, meaning that the events were simply filling in the book so the reader would be forced to wait before the final reveal, thus if any or all of the events prior to the big reveal had been deleted or changed, the end result would stay exactly the same. The plot also did a poor job of holding the reader’s interest as the reader felt disconnected and apathetic to the protagonist’s fate and emotions.

The main protagonist, Eadlyn, was one dimensional, stereotypical and completely manipulated by the plot. Either Eadlyn was suffering from some sort of unknown bipolar disorder or Kiera Cass had bent her to every whim and cliché she desired. Not only could Eadlyn be replaced by any other female literary character but, at times, she enraged the reader so much that she instantly became the antagonist of the book. Other than Eadlyn, there is no antagonist of note in this series. This means that the book is lacking a crucial element and has a weak and poorly developed array of characters.

The setting was poorly established but, as this was the final book in the series, I will not be discussing this element as it should have been vastly covered in the previous novels.

The writing style, if I am to be completely honest, read like fan fiction. I thought Kiera Cass was growing out of her basic, dreary style when she produced the novella The Queen as a spin-off to her main series. The Queen was both enjoyable and a significant improvement for Kiera Cass. However, Cass has reverted to old habits as not only did The Crown break simple literary rules, such as show don’t tell, but it read in a very simple and disappointing fashion. Told from Eadlyn’s perspective, the simple writing retold the events of the novel without any flavour or emotional insight.

Overall, I did not enjoy reading The Crown by Kiera Cass but if you did or, if you intend to read this novel, do so with my best wishes. Books are meant to be loved and if you love this book/series, good on you!

Overall Rating: 1/5 stars

~Jess

May Wrap Up

May was a very busy month for me with school starting again, exams and the local drama competitions of which I participated in. With all of these important events keeping me busy, reading and blogging unfortunately had to take the backburner. That having been said, I am still okay about what I read this month given how much time and effort I needed to put into school. Hopefully, I will have a much better month in June. Without further delay, lets get into the books!

- Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
The second book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children trilogy did not fail to delight. This gripping sequel had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. The events in this novel were both extraordinary and very peculiar. Such a unique book series, I feel, is a must-read in YA genre and I can't wait to read the final instalment next month. Overall Rating: 4/5 stars.
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23164983-hollow-city?from_search=true&search_version=service

- Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King
This character driven, stand alone novel was a unique book within the YA genre that stands out greatly from its peers. Taking none of the conventional routes to a page-turning novel, A.S. King provokes the reader's thoughts in ways other authors would never dare to do. This is a book I would recommend to everyone, reader or not. Overall Rating: 5/5 stars.
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17453303-glory-o-brien-s-history-of-the-future?ac=1&from_search=true

- The Walled City by Ryan Graudin
This plot-driven YA novel was based in the Kowloon Walled City, telling the story of three individual main characters. I have previously read and loved Ryan Grading's other Novel Wolf by Wolf and absolutely loved it, hence why I picked up The Walled City. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy The Walled City as much as I enjoyed Wolf by Wolf.
Overall Rating: 2/5 Stars
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18196040-the-walled-city?from_search=true&search_version=service

- Think Twice by Sarah Mlynowski
Think twice was a fun, teen oriented YA sequel. This book was more of a fun read for me and I enjoyed it simply because I found it very entertaining and it was a book that I could read and discuss with my close friends.  Overall rating: 3/5 stars
Goodreads link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28241823-think-twice?from_search=true&search_version=service

Thank you all so much for reading and I will be back soon with a review of The Crown by Kiera Cass. ~Jess

Flywheel by Erin Gough Review and Author Feature

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend a local writer's festival where I met Erin Gough, the author of Flywheel. I was also fortunate enough to listen to her speak at a panel about young adult literature. After the panel, I then bought her novel and thoroughly enjoyed reading, rating it 4/5 stars overall.

Flywheel was the first LGBT novel I have read and I must admit that I was nervous to venture into the genre as I would with any other new genre. When I listened to Erin speak I knew that Flywheel would be the perfect place to start. This was definitely a new adventure for me but I am so glad that I went on it.

Reflecting on Erin's feature on the panel, I felt very inspired regarding acceptance and simple human equality. I felt that Erin handled the topic very well as both her approach on the panel and her characters in Flywheel expressed LGBT people as merely ordinary people as they are. It is just like many people have many different hair colours. Some naturally have blonde, brown, black or red. It is something completely uncontrollable (except with dye of course but I'm talking about natural colour) yet each individual colour is equally beautiful and equally respectable. After all, we are all humans, we all have hair but the colour of our hair doesn't change the person we are. (My apologies for the laboured metaphor, it was just how I could explain the point!)

As for the novel Flywheel, the topic was covered with light-hearted humour and care. The writing style was direct, with the novel being narrated from the perspective of the main protagonist, Del.

The characters themselves all felt realistic and the reader felt genuine empathy towards each and every one of them and, whilst there were dislikeable characters, there was not a clear antagonist. However, this worked in favour of the book with the characters focusing on life hurdles and challenges which were plentiful.

The plot was fast paced yet also developed events with interesting and sufficient detail. The events that occurred were sometimes quite quirky and laterally concocted but I felt this worked well and kept the reader greatly engaged. When you begin reading it (which I definitely recommend you do) please bare in mind that this is not your average novel but please, also keep an open mind and just let it take you on its own, unique journey as any good book should do.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Flywheel and meeting Erin Gough. I felt this experience has helped me grow as both a reader and a person. I am very happy I took a leap of faith and tried out this new genre by reading Flywheel and I recommend you do too!

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Thanks so much for reading!

~Jess

My Top 5 Tips For Productive Reading

Hello everyone! I thought that it would be fun to write about how we booknerds read so much. As a booknerd, I am always looking for new tips and tricks to increase the amount of reading I complete each day. So, I've compiled a list of the top 5 things I do to help me read productively.

#1 Bring a book wherever you go.

By carrying a book around you will be able to optimise all of your unexpected free time. Whether the bus you were supposed to catch is running 10 mins late or you finish your work early in class, having a book with you will not only give you a fun activity to do but it will increase your overall daily reading time dramatically.

#2 Read in the TV ads.

If you like to watch TV as downtime of an evening or even during the day the ad breaks are always an unwanted interruption to your viewing time. I like to use these ad breaks to read or do another productive activity such as homework.

#3 Set goals.

By setting goals you increase your motivation to read and your enthusiasm skyrockets. It does not matter how large or small the goal you set is, it just matters that you are giving yourself an extra form of motivation. My personal recommendation is to set a daily page count target. On average, I like to aim for 100 pages but you can tailor your goal depending on how busy a certain day is.

#4 Read before bed.

It goes without saying that night is the best time to read. It is a strong possibility that I am actually nocturnal whenever I pick up a book. Reading relaxes you before your bedtime and is a great item to add to your nightly routine.

#5 Stay in the zone.

While this tip might sound cliché, if you keep thinking about a book you are more likely to want to pick it up and continue reading. This can be helped by reading books that you are really excited about and make you feel happy when you think about them.

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave in the comments any tips or advice you have or how you read so much. As a fellow booknerd I would love to know.

Smiles ~ Jess

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Illuminae is a YA sci-fi novel which follows two teens, Kady and Ezra, who escape their home planet when enemy ships arrive to destroy it and its inhabitants. The novel is written in document style as if it were a transcript of the events which the characters endured.

The plot was richly detailed and engaging. It was very unique which made it unpredictable and made the reader much more entertained. It was action packed yet possessed a clarity throughout the entire duration of events.

The characters were quite original and unique but I felt as though they were all one dimensional and lacked the development which would have made the reader much more emotionally attached. Kady was a teen hacker, she was fierce and was often defiant towards adults and authority. Ezra was an unusual blend of intelligence and muscle.

The setting was well developed and clear. It certainly has room for additional building throughout the rest of the series. However, at no point was the reader confused or struggling to understand the story due to issues with the clarity of the setting.

The document format was interesting towards the beginning of the novel but as the reader continued it became clunky and produced gaps in the story. Whilst the plot was clear, areas like character development and subplots were lacking. I would prefer the story written in simple pros as I think the plot stands on its own without the extra hook of the format. I would have loved a psychological element as the sheer horror of the events would have been magnificent to capture form the characters' perspectives.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to any sci-fi nut.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Review by Jess

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a young adult dystopian novel with political themes. It follows the story of a military general's daughter named Kestrel who, at the beginning of the novel, buys a slave at an auction. This slave happens to have a secret that will endanger everything she holds dear.

The best element of this book was by far the characters. Every character was well developed and unique. They were all completely different from the typical YA heroes and heroines. It was absolutely fascinating to read about them as the reader feels much empathy towards both the individual characters and the events they were put through during the plot of the novel.

The main character, Kestrel is the daughter of a famous military general who, despite the pressure of her father, is much more passionate about knowledge and strategy than the barbaric fighting and torturous nature of war. She is unique, not only in the world that she lives in but on Earth too.

The plot was also a key element and was executed with clarity and purpose. The details were meticulous and well-planned yet, overall, the book was fast paced and engaging.

The setting was captivating, clear and well-developed. The clarity of the setting was paramount due to the military strategy themes that were prominent. The clarity was achieved in an intricate and transparent fashion.

The writing style was also well executed with an elegant simplicity. Even though the book was plot and character driven, the beauty of the writing style added to the overall reading experience in an extremely positive way.

Overall, I felt this book was unique and thoroughly stands out from other YA novels. I would highly recommend this to EVERYONE! You can expect a review of 'The Winner's Crime' which is the next book in this trilogy as I have ordered it from the local bookstore and it should be arriving soon.

Overall rating: 5/5 stars

Review by Jess

Book Quotes #1

Today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite quotes from some of my favourite books!

'I wish I could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever.' - The Hunger Games

'And there it is, against all hope, like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. The smallest hint of a smile.' - These Broken Stars

'Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.' - An Ember in the Ashes

'Real friends are the ones you can always count on no matter what. The ones who go into the forest to find you and bring you home. And real friends never have to tell you that they're your friends.' - Since You've Been Gone

'Some things you can never leave behind. They don't belong to the past. They belong to you.' - The 5th Wave

'It is my belief... that the truth is generally preferable to lies.' - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

'Libraries are full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.' - Throne of Glass

Thanks for reading, Jess!

Every Breath by Ellie Marney 

              “Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be. James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who is also a genius with a passion for forensics. Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder. He’s even harder to resist when he’s up close and personal – and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer. When Rachel and Mycroft follow the murderer’s trail, they find themselves in the lion’s den – literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again…” – The Blurb for Every Breath.

              Every Breath by Ellie Marney is 334 pages of intense, gripping and suspenseful reading that had me holding my every breath right until the very last page. I really enjoyed reading this crime/romantic thriller that then, to my delight, I discovered was part of an amazing trilogy.

              This book completely transported me into the world of Rachel Watts and James Mycroft. The book is told in first person from Rachel’s perspective. I really enjoyed this as the character of Rachel was taking the place of Dr Watson (as the book is a modern take on Sherlock Holmes). Dr Watson is traditionally Sherlock Holmes’ assistant or sidekick. James Mycroft takes the place of Sherlock Holmes in this book. I thought it was original yet pleasing that the author wrote the series from the perspective of the sidekick as opposed to the hero; therefore making the sidekick the main character. I found this to be insightful and entertaining.

              Ellie Marney does a brilliant job of describing the scenery and characters. The series is mainly based in Melbourne, except for a trip to London in Every Word and a trip to Rachel’s old home, Five Mile, in Every Move. I found it incredible to have been to the place the book was set in. This was the first book I have read where I had that pleasure and I felt that it added to my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I felt that even if I had not been to Melbourne before I would have still had an amazing view, in my mind’s eye, of the scenery.

              The characters were detailed and original. Although this was a take off  of Sherlock Holmes Ellie Marney put her own personal spin on each character by giving them unique quirks or personality traits that made them even more lifelike. I found myself feeling the characters’ emotions, especially Rachel’s, as I read this book and series.

              My favourite thing about the writing style of this book was the fact that nothing was sugar-coated. By this I mean that the characters did have personality flaws and did, on occasion, swear. I am not saying that I always like swearing in books or by dangerous characters but I do thoroughly appreciate it when the author honestly portrays what the characters may say or do without skimming over parts that are a little rough.

              Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and series and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime novels, thrillers or has enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes. I would rate this book 4.5 stars.

Review by Jess

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the moon is an eerie, fast-past YA Sci-Fi thriller that definitely stands out among the rest of it's genre.

This book takes place when NASA creates a mission to the moon with a twist. A lottery gives the opportunity to three teens to visit the moon along with five of the world's leading astronauts. The novel follows the teens' journey from entering the competition to their adventure on the moon.

The character development in this novel is well executed and thoroughly detailed. Each character is individualised. They are well fleshed out and posses absolute clarity. The reader feels attached to them and is routing for their safety throughout the entire duration of the novel.

The writing style is very simplistic. I usually find that when a book is written in a writing style as simplistic as this novel, the reader often feels detached from the characters and plot. However, I felt that this did not occur in this novel and, in fact, aided and increased the readers connection to both the characters and plot as it emphasised greater moments in the plot and increased their impact.

The plot of this book was detailed and meticulously planned. The overall concept was both fascinating and captivating. The plot focused on the thriller aspect more than the sci-fi. However, there were also survival themes prominent throughout the novel.

Overall, I particularly enjoyed reading 172 Hours on the Moon and would recommend it to any YA reader, especially those looking for a thriller with prominent sci-fi themes.

Overall: 4.5/5 stars

Review by Jess

Reading Goals for 2016

1. Read 50 books.
I settled on this numerical reading goal as this is my first year completing one. I know that this is just under 1 book per week but I am hoping to exceed it however, I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself.

2. Read books out of my comfort zone.
I would like to venture into new genres this year in order to try new things and expand my literary knowledge.

3. Participate in a readathon.
This will be a new experience for me but readathons sound very fun and I would really like to try one.

4. Stay focused on reading and book blogging.
Reading is a very important part of my life and during the past few years my amounts of reading have increased and I would like to keep it this way and improve it. Book blogging is an important yet new part of my life and I would really like to work hard to improve my blog. Please feel free to comment any suggestions. :)

I know these are only a few resolutions but I really hope to keep track of and achieve my goals!

~Jess

Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This was my first introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection. This was the primary reason I felt it was necessary to write a review on the short story.

From the moment I began reading, it was the entrancing and elegant writing style which captured my attention. I loved the wording of the story and I was absolutely fascinated and delighted by the language used.

The characters of Sherlock, Watson and Irene Adler were all distinct and well detailed. I found their quirks believable and unique. I can’t wait to learn more about them as I read more in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection.

The setting of historical London was beautiful and, whilst it was not a prominent part of this particular short story, I am looking forward to reading more short stories that take place in this captivating place and time period.

The only downfall of this short story was the ending as it was slightly abrupt and anticlimactic. However, this most certainly did not ruin the mystery and I still found this a particularly memorable piece of writing.

The plot was extremely interesting and intricate. Sherlock crafted a particularly complex plan which was executed flawlessly as crafted using Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s incredible writing abilities.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this short story classic and will look forward to reading more in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ collection.

Review by Jess

(This was a shorter review as it was a short story and there was less writing to review.)