neil gaiman – The Bookish Pearl

FOUND FIVE | My 5 Favorite Books of 2017

December 31, 2017 , Sun | Found Fives | 0 or add you thoughts!

It’s almost 2018!! That is so crazy to me! Not because this year seemed short, but because the number 2018 just seems too big, if that makes sense. Anyway, as 2017 comes to a close, I thought it would be interesting to go through my year in books and pick five that jump out at me as I look through them. So these are my five favorite reads of 2017—sort of. Some of these I went back and forth on, because there were other books I felt could have been on this list too. But, in the effort to choose just five I think I’ve done quite well! Each of these has really stuck with me, and I definitely feel they will all remain long-term favorites.

As difficult as this is for any avid reader, I’ve also managed to choose a single, overall favorite: Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

1. Archangel by Sharon Shinn

My Aunt Diane gave me this for my birthday last year, and I’m so grateful to her for that! A romance, high fantasy, and science fiction rolled into one, Archangel is a fantastic read from all angles. Shinn has a writing style that is quite unique to me, which is always something I enjoy. I find she’s particularly good at building genuine drama. It doesn’t feel ridiculous or overdone, even when it involves the romance part of the story. And the series this is a part of, Samaria, has the COOLEST overarching plot. I’ve only read one other book in the series so far, but the larger plot starts to become clear, and since my aunt and now my dad read them too, I’ve heard hints! 😉 Archangel in particular was so fun for me. read more

WRAP-UP | November 2017

November 30, 2017 , Thu | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you thoughts!

Hello, friends! It’s the final day of November, which means wrap-up time! I read quite a bit, despite being busy, and really enjoyed everything! So yay!!

“Species that rebel against seasonal norms are loved for their courage. The mistle thrush that can be heard to sing when all other birds have turned shy, even during winter gales, earns our respect, and his nickname, ‘tormcock,’ comes alive on the wind. The red berries and dark-green leaves of holly have found their way onto Christmas cards and earned a little fondness, despite their prickles, because they refuse to let their colors be bowed by a decrease in daylight or a blanket of snow. Gorse will flower at any time of year, and our love of this resilience can be found in the old saying, ‘Gorse is out of bloom when kissing’s out of fashion.'”

If you are interested in learning more about the way we perceive nature, and how we can improve, and benefit from improving, our observational skills, this is a book for you! I picked this up mostly just because I thought the audiobook would be nice to listen to on walks with my dog. I ended up loving it and getting so much out of it. Gooley even walks the reader through observational exercises to explain the way we see certain things and how we might see them in more detail. It was so enjoyable! read more

WRAP-UP | October 2017

October 31, 2017 , Tue | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you 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

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

October 29, 2017 , Sun | Reviews | 0 or add you 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

RECOMMENDATIONS | Halloween 2017 Reads

October 9, 2017 , Mon | Recommendations | 0 or add you 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

WRAP-UP | September 2017

September 30, 2017 , Sat | Wrap-Ups | 0 or add you 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

Archives