Top Five Wednesdays: July 12, 2017

Topic: Children/Middle Grade Books

Recommendations:

1. Matilda by Roald Dahl - 5 / 5 Stars
Obviously. I honestly don't even remember when I first read this book, but it was absolutely amazing. Like, I tried to become Matilda the next day by going to the library, checking out adult classics, and attempting to read them (I later discovered that I didn't have the same aptitude as Matilda). There is just a certain way which Dahl writes that I adore. The story was funny and inspiring, and I believe this was one of the first books I have ever bothered to reread.

2. The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner - 5 / 5 Stars
I loved mysteries (still do) as a kid, but I thought Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew weren't really my taste. I really liked how this series establishes a family of orphans that take care of each other and solve mysteries.

3. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin - 5 / 5 Stars
I actually read this book much later in my life (I believe it was sometime around high school?), but it was really good. It follows the story of Minli as she goes on an adventure to seek better fortunes for her family. The little folklore stories that are mentioned throughout the journey further improved the overall quality of the book.

4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster - 5 / 5 Stars
I think every child needs to read this book just to open up their mind to the possibilities of words, numbers, sentences, etc. This book taught me that common items that we are exposed to everyday can be seen as an adventure, as long as you open your eyes to the world around you. The message from this story is incredibly inspiring!

5. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden - 4 / 5 Stars
This is such a cute classical story. I honestly don't remember much of the plot because I read this book such a long time ago, but I absolutely loved the book. This just means that I definitely need to reread this book sometimes in the future.

Let me know what are some of your top children/middle grade books! If you would like to check out other books that I have read, subscribe to the blog, and be sure to check out my Goodread page. 

If you would like to start your own Top Five Wednesdays lists, be sure to check out the Goodreads group!

Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

7/6/2017
Rereading this book after 12+ years made this story even better. I never realized just how much J. K. Rowling was trying to make the first couple of books in this series a children's novel. The book was extremely well written and the humor was so on point. I couldn't stop laughing when Hermione didn't think to light a fire with magic when Harry and Ron were trapped in the Devil's Snare. When I read other fantasy novels, I realize just how hard it is for authors to build their world and magic system. Rowling integrated everything into this book perfectly. I honestly have nothing but good things to say, and I can't wait to reread the rest of this series for the 20th anniversary.

Overall rating: 5 Stars

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Review: Landline

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Landline is a book about a woman named Georgie McCool who chooses to work instead of going with her husband and children to Omaha for Christmas with the in-laws. Georgie soon realizes that the only way for her to contact Neal was through a landline phone that allows her to talk to Neal from 15 years ago.

There were many aspects of this book that I really liked, such as the diversity of the characters and the nonlinear story plot that detailed Georgie and Neal's relationship. However, I had many, many problems with this book. First of all, I didn't really relate to any of the characters. Georgie is a very career-driven woman, which I have no problem with, but she her attitude towards her profession and her family makes her one of those people that seem like they won't succeed in either job. Neal was flat out pathetic, and I really didn't enjoy the "romantic" drama that ensued between them. Another major issue I had with this book was the ending. It was very abruptly written and unsatisfying. It comes as no surprise that Georgie and Neal end up together, but I wanted them to talk through the problems in their relationship again to find a middle ground between work and family. I also wanted to know what happens to Georgie and Seth's TV show scripts. That storyline was abandoned half way through the book when the drama started picking up.

I enjoyed this book as a quick summer read, but I felt ambivalent towards the romance and the conflicts.

Overall rating: 3 Stars

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Top Five Wednesdays: July 5, 2017

Topic: Books Without Romance

This is actually one of my favorite topics because sometimes I just want to enjoy a good book without a romantic subplot.

Recommendations:

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J. K. Rowling) - 4 / 5 Stars

2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - 5 / 5 Stars

3. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - 5 / 5 Stars

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - 5 / 5 Stars

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 5 / 5 Stars

I also read a lot of nonfiction books, which I feel like would be cheating for this T5W topic. Here is a link to my nonfiction bookshelf. 

Be sure to check out the Goodreads group if you would also like to participate!

July Read-a-thons!

One of my goals for July is to try a Read-a-thon. So, I decided to go above-and-beyond my goals and participate in TWO different read-a-thons! I'm really excited about this and will keep you updated throughout my reading progress.

The first read-a-thon that I will be participating in is the High Summer Read-a-thon. This event is hosted by Seasons of Reading from July 17th (my birthday!!!) until July 30th. According to the guideline, there are basically no limitations to what you decide to read during this period. However, I will be establishing some of my own goals and TBR at a later date.

The second read-a-thon is the 24in48 reading challenge from July 22nd to July 23rd. This is going to be a lot more different than the relaxed High Summer Read-a-thon; I will be attempting to read 24 hours within a 48 hour time range. So, I feel like I won't actually be sleeping that weekend.

Again, updates will be made throughout both of the read-a-thons! I encourage all of you to also participate in some read-a-thons to give yourself a challenge or to get out from that reading slump. Let me know if you have future read-a-thon recommendations that you think I might be interested in.

Happy reading!

Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button And Other Stories

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button And Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the best and thought-provoking short stories I have ever read. I personally thought it was really interesting how the author portrayed the end of Benjamin's life similar to that of an old man's life and the backward emotional development that took a toll on the life of people around Benjamin. At various points in this story, I wish Fitzgerald could have elaborated more on the plot and character development, but I guess there wasn't much to expand upon for a short story.

As for the rest of the stories, I finally remembered why I didn't like The Great Gatsby. There's just something in the way Fitzgerald writes that really doesn't pique my interest. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, and some of the plots just felt like people were going through weird emotional dilemmas coming from the middle of nowhere. Perhaps I also lost interest in the stories after listening to Benjamin Button.

Here are my ratings for each individual short stories:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 4.5 / 5 Stars
Babylon Revisited: 3 / 5 Stars:
Three Hours Between Planes: 3.5 / 5 Stars
The Bridal Party: 2.5 / 5 Stars
The Lost Decade: 2 / 5 Stars

Overall rating: 3 Stars

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June 2017 Wrap Up and July 2017 TBR!

June Wrap Up

Since it's the last day of June, I have decided to post my June Wrap Up and July TBR! This month, I have read 6 books and a total of 2256 pages. Here are the rating distributions of the books I read (including rounding error):

5 Stars - 0 books

4 Stars - 4 books

3 Stars - 2 books

2 Stars - 0 books

1 Star - 0 books

After including partial reading, my ratings averaged to be 3.46 stars, which means that it honestly hasn't been the best reading month. 

List of Books:

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama - 3.5 Stars
2. $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin and  H. Luke Shaefer - 4.25 Stars
3. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - 3.75 Stars
4. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - 3 Stars
5. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - 2.75 Stars
6. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - 3.5 Stars

July TBR!

1. The Complete Novels and Stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
3. Hamilton the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
4. Atonement by Ian McEwan
5. Arabian Nights
6. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
7. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
8. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
9. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Let me know if you have other suggestions or which one you think I should read first!

Happy reading!

Review: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was really excited to read this book, especially after watching the movie when it came out in theaters. Even though I loved the inspiration and the premise of the stories, there were just way too many stories to follow for me. On occasion, the story lines also become very repetitive and dry, which further disengages me from the characters. For a nonfiction detailing the space race, I wish Shetterly could have provided a better narrative that showed these women's lives rather than focusing on the details of their accomplishments. Over the span of the entire book, I honestly didn't even know the difference between the two Dorothy's. Without watching the movie, I think I would have been even more lost in who each of these women were because their names are so common. Ugh.

I really wish I could have enjoyed this story more because I think this story is important for American history, but I had to really struggle to make it to the end.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had to wait a full day before writing this review. So first of all, I loved the first half of this book. Feyre was finally discovering herself and learning to control her powers. Sarah J. Maas also did a splendid job on expanding the Prythian universe and its magic system.

And then I just had tons of issues with the rest of the book:

<Beginning of spoiler>[
1. Honestly, how many times did Maas write that Rhys was the MOST POWERFUL HIGH LORD and his "family" contained the MOST POWERFUL WARRIORS? This was always something that really annoyed me. Like the main love interest is all-mighty and super duper powerful. None of them even bother having flaws...oh wait, their flaws are their love interests. It's so cliche in YA and it's disgusting.
2. Tamlin experienced a brief Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moment between the first and second book so that Feyre could actually find her true love. I think people need to understand that it's okay to fall in and out of love. It's a normal phenomenon. It's not normal when your boyfriend suddenly becomes emotionally and physically abusive. Like, where what all of that coming from? He didn't retain any of his redeeming qualities from the first book! Yes, the "Under the Mountains" experience was probably traumatic, but Tamlin completely fell away from his original character so Maas can force Rhys on us next. And did I mention that Feyre had no transitioning from Tamlin to Rhys in just six months? She claims that Tamlin no longer fought for her love, but she never bothered to fight for him either.
3. The sex scenes. Okay, no. Just no. It was so cringe-worthy.
4. I was not a fan of the Feyre and Rhysand ship. I like them individually as characters throughout the novel, but I hated them together. Their relationship is not healthy; it's a power play. There was a lack of communication between these two lovers and it was always expected for Rhysand to apologizes to her every time they bicker about nonsense that it just became really annoying. It's honestly really sickening watching their relationship develop.

I was so annoyed at this book that I originally wanted to give it 1.75 stars, but I think the ending had some redeeming qualities and I liked how nicely the author wraps up the transition book in this trilogy (which means I will most likely HAVE to read the last book to find out how they plan to defeat the King of Hybern). (hide spoiler)]
1. Honestly, how many times did Maas write that Rhys was the MOST POWERFUL HIGH LORD and his "family" contained the MOST POWERFUL WARRIORS? This was always something that really annoyed me. Like the main love interest is all-mighty and super duper powerful. None of them even bother having flaws...oh wait, their flaws are their love interests. It's so cliche in YA and it's disgusting. 

2. Tamlin experienced a brief Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moment between the first and second book so that Feyre could actually find her true love. I think people need to understand that it's okay to fall in and out of love. It's a normal phenomenon. It's not normal when your boyfriend suddenly becomes emotionally and physically abusive. Like, where what all of that coming from? He didn't retain any of his redeeming qualities from the first book! Yes, the "Under the Mountains" experience was probably traumatic, but Tamlin completely fell away from his original character so Maas can force Rhys on us next. And did I mention that Feyre had no transitioning from Tamlin to Rhys in just six months? She claims that Tamlin no longer fought for her love, but she never bothered to fight for him either. 

3. The sex scenes. Okay, no. Just no. It was so cringe-worthy. I mean, "the mountains shook as he came"...really? Please don't tell me all teenagers think that this is what sex is like. 

4. I was not a fan of the Feyre and Rhysand ship. I like them individually as characters throughout the novel, but I hated them together. Their relationship is not healthy; it's a power play. There was a lack of communication between these two lovers and it was always expected for Rhysand to apologizes to her every time they bicker about nonsense that it just became really annoying. It's honestly really sickening watching their relationship develop.
<End of spoiler>

Overall rating: 3 stars

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Review: Always and Forever, Lara Jean

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a quick and short read. I finished it within a couple of hours in one sitting. Even though I liked the message that the author was conveying about growing up and taking the next step in your life after high school, there were some major plot holes that I had an issue with, the main one being how old Lara Jean's sister is. I mean, I thought she was like 14 or something in the first book, and now she's turning 11 and giving Lara Jean suggestions on how to cure a hangover? WTF. Seriously, this just isn't realistic at all. Aside from that, Kitty was probably actually my favorite character in this book.

You know who I absolutely hated? Margot. I think Jenny Han meant to make her a strong and independent sister that Lara Jean could look up to, but this girl honestly has no respect for her parents or anyone else for that matter. She's turning 20 in this book and acting like she owns the world. If she has a problem, she doesn't talk to her dad about it, but instead passively takes it out on poor Trina, who I really liked. I understand her frustrations with her family seemingly taking a step away from her, but that's life. Grow up. It was honestly so annoying throughout this book.

Lara Jean and Peter. Ugh. This relationship was killing me this entire series. This is what is fundamentally wrong with many of the teenage relationships out there today. I hate the lack of communication between them. Yes, transitioning from high school to college is a difficult time, but that's why it makes it more important to talk to each other about it. I want to read more young adult contemporary novels where people in healthy relationships go through life problems together. This just really fell flat for me in this department.

Overall rating: 2.75 stars (rounding it up to 3 stars)

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