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REVIEW | One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

November 19, 2017 , Sun | Reviews | or add your thoughts!

“Her manic phases were a trip, though. For my eighth birthday she took me to a department store, handed me a cart, and told me to fill it with whatever I wanted. When I was nine and into reptiles she surprised me by setting up a terrarium in the living room with a bearded dragon. We called it Stan after Stan Lee, and I still have it. Those things live forever.”

Themes:

  • Friendship
  • Thinking you know someone versus truly seeing them
  • The importance of reserving judgements and always striving to empathize

Before starting this, I had heard it described as The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars—intriguing, right? I’m not huge into thriller books, but Halloween was approaching, and I kept hearing about this, so I started it. And I’m so glad I did! I expected One of Us is Lying to be entertaining. I didn’t expect it to be something I can see myself rereading.

Let’s start with the fact that while the characters are, at their basest level, somewhat tropy, they all have such interesting growth. By the end of the novel, I really felt McManus had demonstrated each character’s individual complexity quite well. I feel like I know these people, and I want to know them more. Addy’s story arc was particularly awesome, in my opinion. She went from a character I couldn’t stand to one I would read a whole book about. Seriously. I also loved Cooper, who is gay and outed in the process of the investigation into what happened to Simon. I can’t personally speak to the representation, but I could imagine how his story line would be relatable to an underrepresented group of people, which is so important. He’s a star baseball player, with a father who literally calls people fags. It’s in this environment that we first see Cooper, in love with a man named Kris, but dating a girl named Keely. When Cooper was forcibly outed, it was painful. It was awful. But, it did help someone like myself, who hasn’t had that particular experience, empathize with people who do go through that. I felt better able to relate to how assaulted someone in that situation would feel. So I thought that was a great element of his story! Plus, I loved him and Kris! read more

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REVIEW | The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories by Penelope Lively

November 17, 2017 , Fri | Reviews | or add your thoughts!

“Funny, she could be. Sharp—not malicious, just occasionally barbed. People who’d got up her nose. So you see I realized I can say what she was like—a sort of climate of mind—clever and astute and kind—yes, kind—but critical and quite judgmental and ambitious, yes, but the kind of ambition that’s about the thing being done, not the person doing it.”

Themes:

  • Regret
  • The quiet beauty of ordinary life
  • Society’s expectations and judgments, and how they influence choices

In May, my family moved to a new area. In the beginning of June, I went to the local library for the first time. This particular library has a “new to us” section, which visitors encounter immediately upon entering. On the day I walked in for the first time, The Purple Swamp Hen and Other Stories was prominently placed, facing out on this very shelf. What a magical place libraries are, and bless the librarians who put Lively’s masterpiece in that attention-grabbing spot. Because I picked it up, read it in a matter of days, and haven’t stopped loving it since.

I love to read, and I’ve enjoyed literature in all of its forms. But it’s a rare work that compels me to read and reread and reread again. This is one of them! I’ve already reread a few of the stories since having first read it in full back in June. I don’t normally write reviews so long after initially reading something, but since I’ve reread many of my favorite parts of this recently, and I love it so dearly, I decided I simply must write this! read more

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RECOMMENDATIONS | Writing Craft Books

November 1, 2017 , Wed | Recommendations | or add your thoughts!

Happy November! This month means more autumnal fun, Thanksgiving, and … National Novel Writing Month! I don’t actually do much creative writing. In fact, up until a few years ago, I didn’t write on my own time at all. I’ve gotten a little more into it every year since I started doing it a little more, and this year I actually have a few projects in mind. So, I’ve decided to take a stab at NaNoWriMo. I can be really bad at keeping up with things like this (I tried NaNoWriMo for all of a few days last year), so we’ll see what happens. But, I also thought this was a perfect time to share some of my favorite writing craft books! As evidenced by most of this paragraph, I am far from an expert about any of this, but I have really enjoyed all of these. They’ve informed my copywriting for work, my creative writing for fun, and my pursuit of an inspired lifestyle.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

I’ve heard mixed things about this, and I understand some of the criticism it receives, but I LOVED this book. I found Gilbert’s approach entertaining and enlightening. She did make me think about creativity in a new way, which I value. This is also unique on this list, because it isn’t only about writing. Gilbert talks about her pursuit of a creative lifestyle, filled with outside-the-box thinking in all ways. read more

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WRAP-UP | October 2017

October 31, 2017 , Tue | Wrap-Ups | or add your thoughts!

Can you believe October is over?! I actually can, as time never seems to fly by for me, even when I’m busy. I had a lot going on this month, but I still managed to get a good bit of reading in. You’ll noticed I was pretty focused on my spooky theme! In fact, I’m still reading a few Halloween-related things, so that will carry into November!

“I watched my dad think about this. He looked like he was going to suggest that we have something for breakfast that you do not need milk for, like sausages, but then he looked like he remembered that, without milk, he couldn’t have his tea. He had his ‘no tea’ face.

‘You poor children,’ he said. ‘I will walk down to the shop on the corner. I will get milk.'”

And so, my absolute devotion to anything created by Neil Gaiman continues. This was such a hilarious, endearing read. If you have children, this little novel will result in fits of shared laughter. It’s so inventive and fantastic! Plus, the illustrations by Skottie Young are awesome! read more

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REVIEW | The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

October 29, 2017 , Sun | Reviews | or add your thoughts!

“The second thing I thought was that I knew everything. Lettie Hempstock’s ocean flowed inside me, and it filled the entire universe, from Egg to Rose. I knew that. I knew what Egg was—where the universe began, to the sound of uncreated voices singing in the void—and I knew where Rose was—the peculiar crinkling of space on space into dimensions that fold like origami and blossom like strange orchids, and which would mark the last good time before the eventual end of everything and the next Big Bang, which would be, I knew now, nothing of the kind.”

Themes:

  • Unreliable memory and the fluidity of time
  • The idea that good and evil work on a scale
  • The individuality of wisdom and knowledge

Seriously, I am blown away. I bought this several years ago at Miami Book Fair. It’s a signed copy Books & Books (the primary independent bookstore in South Florida) had in its back stock. It has been sitting on my tbr since then. It has come along with me all four of the times I’ve moved house since purchasing it. All because it was Gaiman, so I knew it was good. I just had to, at some point, be in the right mood and pick it up. That happened recently, and it’s now on my list of all-time favorites. read more

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REVIEW | The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

October 28, 2017 , Sat | Reviews | or add your thoughts!

“Trailing a respectful distance beside her pectoral fins, I could feel the sheer force of her in the water. The sound her movement made was like thunder coming from far away, yet I felt it shuddering against me. I swam instinctively, not thinking, floating in a half-dreamed place, and what came to me was the quote stenciled on the wall in room 202 of my grandmother’s hotel—the Keats Room: ‘Love is my religion. I could die for that.’ The sea, its creatures, its sharks—they were my religion. I could die for that.”

Themes:

  • Balancing career and family
  • Holding grudges and offering forgiveness
  • Personal growth over time, and how it can change not only who you are, but who and what you need

When I first picked up this book, it was for two reasons: I love Sharks, and I enjoy Sue Monk Kidd’s work, so I thought it would be really cool to read something by her daughter. But after the first few pages, I knew this book was going to end up meaning a lot more to me than all that.

This novel was emotional for me, in ways I totally didn’t expect. I lived in South Florida for the last 15-plus years. Even before we moved there, we had family there. Some of my most vivid childhood memories take place at my grandparents’ house in Key Largo. From the mangroves to the great key lime pie debate, The Shark Club took me back to a place I’ve long considered a home in one way or another. Everything about the setting of this book and the characters’ lifestyles was nostalgic to me! read more

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RECOMMENDATIONS | Halloween 2017 Reads

October 9, 2017 , Mon | Recommendations | or add your thoughts!

It’s October, and that means—HALLOWEEN. As a bookworm, I love to theme my reading around holidays! So, I thought I’d share some spooky reads with you all! I haven’t yet read all of these, but I can tell you that Slasher Girls & Monster Boys is terrifying; I was surprised by how much I loved One of Us is Lying; There’s Someone Inside Your House messes with your head enough that I can only read it during daylight hours; and Hallowe’en Party is proving just as mysterious and entertaining as you’d expect a novel by Christie to be.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories by Roald Dahl (Editor)

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy by Ameriie (Editor)

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke (Editor) read more

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Stephanie Perkins Author Event for There’s Someone Inside Your House’s Release

October 2, 2017 , Mon | Events | or add your thoughts!

Last Tuesday, I went to an event for Stephanie Perkins’ new book There’s Someone Inside Your House. It was held at Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library (which is gorgeous, by the way), in partnership with Georgia Center for the Book and Little Shop of Stories. Fellow author Elizabeth Lenhard acted as moderator.

Now, I am not a huge horror fan. I don’t think I mind it too much, but I’ve had very limited experience with it. But this is Stephanie Perkins. I enjoyed her Anna and the French Kiss series, and seeing her tackle such a different genre is something I can’t pass up. That’s how my interest in this book began: I’m fascinated by authors who can jump from one thing to another, especially when the difference is as stark as a cute, contemporary romance and horror. I mean come on, that’s great.

As is wont to happen, listening to Perkins talk about this book and her writing process has made me even more pumped about it. Hearing an author speak in person and getting to meet them always adds a level of excitement to a new read, doesn’t it? Perkins talked about how varied her personal interests are, and how she always knew she didn’t want to be boxed into one type of book—so cool. She is apparently such a lover of horror, which I never knew! If you are someone who enjoys this genre, I don’t think you should shy away from this one just because of its author’s previous novels. I haven’t read the book yet, and I’m not familiar with horror in general, as mentioned, but Perkins certainly sounded like she knew what she was doing with this genre. She discussed tons of research, a passion for creepy things, and a somewhat disturbing (if I’m being honest) collection of items she has in her house. read more

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WRAP-UP | September 2017

September 30, 2017 , Sat | Wrap-Ups | or add your thoughts!

September has been a dream for this bibliophile! I went to a local book festival and several exciting author events, and I got to visit the most adorable independent bookshop near me for the first time. This was also the month of exciting new releases! But most importantly, I read some wonderful stories. I’m fairly selective with what I call an all-time favorite, and I am designating two of my reads from this month as such, so that should tell you how good September was to me!

“I was not happy as a child, although from time to time I was content. I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.”

This was such an incredible little novel. It is one of the two aforementioned new favorites, and I am already itching to reread it! Before this, I had only read Norse Mythology and a few chapters of American Gods. Now, I’m realizing what a mistake it has been that I haven’t previously made Neil Gaiman’s work more of a priority! This book delighted and surprised me in so many ways throughout. Absolutely charming! read more

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REVIEW | Uprooted by Naomi Novik

September 29, 2017 , Fri | Reviews | or add your thoughts!

“I hated her; I wanted her to burn, the way so many of the corrupted had burned, because she’d put her hold on them. But wanting cruelty felt like another wrong answer in an endless chain. The people of the tower had walled her up, then she’d struck them all down. She’d raised up the wood to devour us; now we’d give her to the fire-heart, and choke all this shining clear water with ash. None of that seemed right.”

Themes:

  • Cyclical violence
  • Female empowerment
  • Humanity’s destruction of the natural world

Oh my goodness, how I adore this book. It is already on my favorites list!

Uprooted gives the reader that old-timey fantasy feel. It reminded me almost immediately of The Charwoman’s Shadow by Lord Dunsany, but it also makes me think of Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. So if you enjoy elements of those, this is a book you should give a try. If you have never read those or don’t enjoy them, you should still give this one a try.

I love the way magic works in this story and how Novik allows the reader to slowly discover it. Sarkan and Agnieszka’s magic operates so differently, yet creates beautiful results when worked together. It is a fascinating element of the story and inspires growth in Sarkan and Agnieszka’s relationship. read more

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