A Reading Review: For Me and You.

Let's get reading! This is a safe space for those who love to read, write, and create. All opinions are welcome here! Since reading is a peaceful hobby for many, please have respect for those who follow and contribute to this book blog. Thank you for checking my blog out, I look forward to connecting! Happy reading, my friends!

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'“It’s not right,” he said, “to hate somethin’ just for bein’ alive.”' -Robert McCammon, Boy's Life

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'“They may look grown-up,” she continued, “but it’s a disguise. It’s just the clay of time. Men and women are still children deep in their hearts. They still would like to jump and play, but that heavy clay won’t let them. They’d like to shake off every chain the world’s put on them, take off their watches and neckties and Sunday shoes and return naked to the swimming hole, if just for one day. They’d like to feel free, and know that there’s a momma and daddy at home who’ll take care of things and love them no matter what. Even behind the face of the meanest man in the world is a scared little boy trying to wedge himself into a corner where he can’t be hurt.' -Robert McCammon, Boy's Life

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"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself." -George Orwell, Animal Farm

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“After years of having a dog, you know him. You know the meaning of his snuffs and grunts and barks. Every twitch of the ears is a question or statement, every wag of the tail is an exclamation.” -Robert McCammon, 'Boy's Life'

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"We all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God’s sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they’d allowed to wither in themselves." - Robert McCammon, 'Boy's life'

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Let's Spiral Into Horror: 'Uzumaki' by Junji Ito

Uzumaki is a story about the darkness behind the beautiful geometric shape; the spiral.

The story is set in the town of Korozu Cho, which has been cursed by the spiral. I was skeptical when I first opened the Manga. How is a story about spirals going to be... scary? I thought "Hmm, I don't think I will be scared, but let's give it a go!" Oh man, was I wrong. This manga sent shivers down my spine and made me feel slightly disturbed. As the story continued, it became more and more interesting. I found myself addicted. I would read it like it was my job. The more I read, the more unsettled I felt. When I finished and put the manga back on the shelf, I noticed spirals everywhere. Well, they are a geometric shape so the chances of seeing one is inevitable. I see the spirals, or Uzumaki if you will, and it brings me back into the world that Kirie had to live in. How could she stay strong in a place that had crumbled before her eyes? How was she able to watch the people she grow up with turn into spirals? How was she able to watch her baby brother turn into a snail, and still try to save korozu cho?

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How Does Reading Make you Feel?

Reading is my safe space. Whenever I open a book, my mind is entirely focused. I feel free. I feel as if I am living in a dream world. The words stimulate my brain in an unexplainable way. I feel the characters as if I know them. I see the setting, even though I am not there. The feeling of the pages on my fingertips makes me happy because I know I am entering the dream world. Which, to me, is a book.

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A question to ponder

"Could you actually remember pain? He didn't think so. You knew there was such a thing, and that you had suffered from it, but that wasn't the same."

I've read this quote over and over again. It's a question I cannot stop thinking about. The last time I stubbed my toe, I got lightheaded because of how much it hurt. I remember that I hurt myself, and that it hurt in the moment, but I can't actually remember that pain. I won't ever remember that pain unless I stub my toe again... right? I lost a loved one, which sent me into excruciating mental pain. I feel as if I can still remember that pain. Very well, actually. Sometimes I unwillingly go back to the moment I found out she had died. I feel that pain again. Is mental pain different than physical in this case? Interesting...

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I call myself "The Book Snob"

Honestly, I don't really like using the word "snob" because I feel like it comes off negatively. But I think it makes sense in my case.

Here are some reasons why I call myself "The Book Snob." First, I like to have all the books that I read. I find myself reading Kindle books only to buy a physical copy. I also love my books to be pristine, so I tend to drive past the used bookstore and head to B&N. Don't get me wrong, I buy used books if they are in good condition. Second, I usually only read books that have higher than 4.0 stars. I like making sure that the book is going to be great. I mean, everyone has opinions, you know? Someone could LOVE a book that I hate, and it could be rated 4.5 stars! Also, someone could absolutely HATE a book that I love, which could also be rated 4.5 stars. So, it's different for everyone. Just because it has a rating of 4 stars does not mean it's a fantastic book; I completely understand that. However, if the book has a higher rating, the chances of it being a good book are heightened. I have been proved wrong, though. As a beginner, I just read any book that looked appealing. A book that seemed different and exciting. Spoiler alert: most of the books I read were under 4 stars, and they were great. With that said, I should broaden my horizons. I should explore further into the depths of the reading world! I guarantee that I'm missing out on some of the best stories out there!

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The Struggles of Being a Book Lover

There are three books in my backpack right now. All of which I am currently reading. 'Tomie' by Junji Ito (manga), 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' by Heather Morris, and 'Doctor Sleep' by Stephen King. I'm not the type of reader who can read and understand three stories all at once, but this time around is different. I have a lot of downtime at work, which can lead me to become incredibly bored. I'll read one of those books for a period of time, get a tad bit bored, and move to the next one. However, boredom is not the only factor. I haven't read a book since 2020... I know... crazy. So maybe I'm having book withdrawals and just need alllll the books haha. I just picked up Dune. I should wait to finish the other books before I start the chunky one!

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A highlight from Doctor Sleep

On page 17, about halfway through the page, there was a quote that caught my eye. This quote is as follows: "I said what you said, that he wasn't a ghost, he was real. And she said yes, that was true, because I was making him real." The reason why this quote stood out to me was because it reminded me of the demons that many human beings have to fight against. With ghosts? Not necessarily. I related this quote to anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and the other negatives that mental illness brings us. Feeding into those negative thoughts, those thoughts that tell you to end your life, or those thoughts that tell you you're ugly, you're making those things a reality. The more you feed into these thoughts, the more pain you will feel and the harder it will be to heal from them.

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I started Doctor Sleep!

I just began reading this a few hours ago. Usually, I would be at least 75 pages in by now, but for some reason, I am not as interested as I thought I would be and haven't gotten past page 17. For those who don't know, 'Doctor Sleep' is a horror novel written by the one and only Stephen King. My excitement for reading this book came about once I realized it was the sequel to one of my favorite books of King's: The Shining. The Shining was a beautifully unsettling novel about a family of three living inside a hotel filled with secrets. Secrets so dark that it will make your stomach turn. King has yet to let me down, but as I read Doctor Sleep, I keep finding myself reading the same page over and over due to my lack of interest. When I find a book hard to get into, I am quick to pick another book. However, knowing King's work, as well as 'The Shining", I will try my best to continue!

Update coming soon! :)