My Bookish Blog

This is my sideblog where I will keep all my bookish thoughts and things.

[retrobookworm]

The Magician's Nephew Review

This is a reread, but I've never reviewed it, so I decided I might as well.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. The characters are amazing. They are so well developed, and you connect with them really easily. They're relatable, and don't act older than their age. The children have minor arguments throughout the book, which helps make them seem more real.

I love how C.S. Lewis writes the book as if he's talking to the reader. I feel like he's a friend, even though I'll never be able to meet him. I love the descriptions in the book, as it really helps view the story on a deeper level.

If you have never read this book, I HIGHLY recommend it.

[retrobookworm]

Room Service Review

I read this book last week, and I'm only just now getting around to reviewing it. Room Service by Maren Stoffels is a whirlwind. I finished it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down.

This is not the best book in the world, as the book is a little underdeveloped, but if you're looking for a book that will keep you distracted for a few hours, this is it. The characters are pretty cool, but certainly not my favorites.

[retrobookworm]

Lord Of The Flies Review

I just finished Lord Of The Flies by William Golding and I am SHOCKED that I have never read it before. This book was sooooo good! I found it very hard to put down, despite it being a classic.

I really loved the way the characters interacted with each other, as it really sounded like how children act. I love how they didn't go straight to being psycho, they sort of gradually became angrier with each other until it became an all out murder-fest.

I would highly suggest this to someone who is a new to reading classics, as it is significantly easier to understand than some of the other classics and is definitely a page turner. However, there are some paragraphs where I had trouble comprehending what the author was trying to say. It didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book, and probably will make more sense when I reread it.

[retrobookworm]

King's Cage Review

So I just finished King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard, and decided to get the review posted as soon as possible so I wouldn't forget a thing. Also, after the spoiler free review, I will have a review with spoilers below it. If you don't want to read spoilers, don't read past the wall of hashtags.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW:

In the simplest words, this book was really good. I didn't find it as good as Glass Sword, but I did rather enjoy it. There is a lot of new information and characters in this book, and it can be lot to take in. This book is best read in as short of a timespan as feasible. I read this book over the course of seven days and forgot most of the characters that were introduced in the beginning of the book. It might just be an issue with my brain's will to remember, but I honestly don't know.

This book is not as emotional as Glass Sword, which can be a good thing. If you enjoyed Glass Sword, I would suggest you continue on and read King's Cage as well.

I look forward to reading the final book in the quartet sometime this year.

SPOILER REVIEW BELOW

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Ok, for those of you who have already read this book or don't care about spoilers, I have a LOT to say about this book. It sent me on so many confusion trains that I honestly don't even know what to think anymore.

Starting from the beginning, I feel really bad for Mare. I liked how Aveyard described Mare's imprisonment, as it wasn't a bore to read. I liked how we were able to see how Mare felt and that really helped me understand her pain.

Ok, I really can't say any more about Mare until I have finished ranting about Maven. OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED. I am so confused about Maven's feelings. Like, ok, I was HEARTBROKEN when he betrayed Mare in Red Queen, but I always had a little stream of hope that he might repent. This thing he did during most of the book where he was really protective of Mare threw me for a loop. Like, it seemed like he was being genuine. I feel like he still loves her, but his way of expressing love is really toxic and messed up. And it seems that Mare still loves him too? And the bathtub scene really confused me. Like, he could have sent Mare away, but he didn't??? He was practically defenceless against her in that scene, she really could have killed him if she tried. Was it a stab at her? Sort of like saying, "I know you want to kill me but you can't because you still care". And when Cal mentioned to Mare that he thought there still might be a chance, my hope for Maven grew.

Ok, and the ending of this book had me really confused and kind of sad. I don't get why Cal claimed to love Mare and then just did nothing when the time came. Like, there is a lot of people who want him to be king. If he said he wanted to marry Mare, they'd have to let him. I know that they want Evangeline to marry Cal so that it's an alliance between Norta and the Rift, but Evangeline doesn't want it and neither does Cal. WHY CAN'T CAL JUST TELL THEM HE LOVES MARE?!?! ARGHHHHHHHH

Two more things before I end this review: WHY DID NANNY HAVE TO DIE???? Also, was it just me who thought Shade had come back when the newblood teleported Mare and Cal out of the wedding siege? I got very excited that Shade might have somehow survived, and I was flying through the book after that in hopes of finding him. :'(

I'm going to put a wall of hashtags here as well so nobody has to see the spoilers if they don't want to.

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[retrobookworm]

My Final Book Haul Before The Mega Book Buying Ban

So I have 74 books that I haven't read, and there is currently no space in my tbr shelf. Thus, I did a book haul this month before banning myself from buying books until at least July. :'(

Here's what I bought this month:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (accidentally got the abridged version.... still going to give it a try though)

Playlist For The Dead by Michelle Falkoff

No Place Like Here by Christina June

Hood by Stephen R Lawhead

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Strands Of Bronze And Gold by Jane Nickerson

Room Service by Maren Stoffels

I do plan on reading them all this year, along with the rest of the unread books I own. Reviews will be out for each as I work my way through them.

[retrobookworm]

I have a discord server for bookish people!

If you're looking for a discord server to just randomly rant about books, look for recommendations, or just vent about a character in a book, I've just made a server for that. If that interests you, please feel free to join! I would love to talk with some book loving people!

https://discord.gg/Cyn6KuWsVs

[retrobookworm]

Little Women Review

I just finished reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and I cannot express how many emotions this book made me feel. If you are looking for a heartwarming story that will make you feel like you are part of a big, loving family, look no further than this book.

I quickly connected with two of the characters from page one and claimed them as my favourites. By the end of the book, I had taken a liking to every single character. They all felt like close friends, like I had known them for a long time.

This book follows the March sisters as they grow into womanhood. The book follows them for about fifteen years of their life, so you get to know them pretty well. They act like sisters usually do (I have two sisters of my own), and it really helps build the family feeling throughout the book.

I loved watching the sisters grow and learn from their mistakes, as they all entered womanhood at their own time. You follow their story for so long, it feels like you are growing alongside them.

I don't usually say/think this about books, but I'm already looking forward to reading this one again. This is definitely a classic you don't want to miss.

[retrobookworm]

My Top Nine Reads Of 2021

If you have read any of these, please let me know! I would love to rant with you about how amazing they are! I tried to narrow it down to five books, but it was near impossible for me to give up any of these from the list.

Note: These are not in a specific order, I really couldn't pick a favourite out of these, nor could I rank them from favourite to least favourite. Thus, they are just listed randomly.

1. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

In the simplest words possible, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It made me smile, it ripped me into a thousand pieces and built me back up piece by piece. If you are looking for a story that will utterly and completely destroy you, this is it. I wasn't able to stop thinking about this book for months. It was one of the first books that really stuck with me (other than my childhood favs ofc)

2. Circe by Madeline Miller

So it seems I really had a thing for books that destroyed me this year. I adored this book. It is a great choice for any Riordan fans out there who are looking for something a little more grown-up. I fell in love with the characters and felt their pain as they suffered. This book was near impossible to put down, and I stayed up into the early hours of the morning to keep reading it. I borrowed this one from the library, so I don't own a copy, but I am hoping to buy one in the near future so that I might reread this book over and over.

3. One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I can't say much about the book without spoiling it, but I ABSOLUTELY adored the characters. I was not expecting it to end the way it did. This is definitely a great way to introduce yourself to Karen M McManus's work, as I am now very excited to read all of her work. I also read The Cousins by McManus this year, but One Of Us Is Lying is significantly better in my opinion.

4. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This book ripped my heart out. I fell in love with the characters on the first page and felt like I knew them personally. I love Finch and Violet's relationship with each other! This book was heartbreaking, happy, and hopeful all at once. If you are looking for a book to make you ugly cry, this is definitely the one. I have yet to cry while reading (I tend to be a stonefaced reader), but this one wins the medal for coming the closest to doing so.

5. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This book. Oh my goodness, I still can't get over it. To this day, it still affects the way I read every book. In short, this book gave me trust issues. I can't say much more without spoiling it, but I am looking forward to finishing the series. I would put my thoughts on this book, but I'm still learning the mechanics of Tumblr and I don't know if they have an option to cover text unless clicked (like the || thing in discord).

6. The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I believe this might be the first classic I actually couldn't put down. This book was so intriguing, and it kept me hooked from the first chapter. I loved the concept of the book, and the plot was so good. If you are looking for a book that will really make you think, then this is definitely worth a read.

7. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

I read this book in under 24 hours. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down. I now drink my coffee in the fashion described in the book, and have no intention of turning back. Astrean style coffee is my jam now. The characters are wonderful, and I grew so close to all of them. I can't really say I have a favourite.

8. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I CANNOT BELIEVE I WAITED SO LONG TO READ THIS!!!! If you haven't read this book, drop everything and go read it right now. This book is seriously not overhyped at all. This was my second John Green book, and I was not disappointed. I fell in love immediately with Augustus and Hazel, and their story in its entirety. Being an amputee myself, I found it really easy to connect with Augustus and understand how he felt.

9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

This is by far my favourite Jane Austen book. I LOVE Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram. They are my favourites. This book is so full of drama, and is perfect for any romance lover who loves the 1800s. I was constantly finding new drama for the poor heroine, who had already suffered enough. Edmund Bertram is most definitely my favourite character in this book, as I connect to him so well. He's like my spirit animal.

[retrobookworm]

My Reading Plans For 2022

I am very excited for the new year, and with it, read a ton of books. I don't know if I'll be able to read as many as I did this year, but I'll be content regardless.

I have several new books I plan on reading in the upcoming year, and I also plan to reread some favourites. My goal is 73 books total, and I'm pretty sure I'll achieve that.

I'm going to continue a tradition I started to pick up this year, where I read at least one classic per month. Right now, the classics I plan on reading are as follows: [Lord Of The Flies, A Tale Of Two Cities, Treasure Island, Peter Pan, The Wizard Of Oz, The Hiding Place, The BFG, Where The Red Fern Grows, 1984, Frankenstein, and Emma.]

I am still trying to find a classic to read for December 2022. Perhaps A Christmas Carol, but I prefer to but my books used. It will all depend on what classics I run across while shopping.

For my reread list, I am going to start off with The Chronicles Of Narnia, and finish with Percy Jackson And The Olympians. I haven't read either series in a while, and I look forward to rereading them.

I am also going to try to post a review of every book I read. I will include my thoughts on the book, my favourite characters, etc.

There will be plenty of YA books I'm going to read, but the list is quite long, so I decided to omit it for obvious reasons.

And finally, if I ever have a little spare time to read something short in between books, I have 4 books of fairy tales/short stories that I am dying to read. I'll try to work through those as well, but I suppose I'll have to wait and see.