Reviews Week 11

Reviews Week 11
March 12th-18th, 2018

Book 34: Eric by Terry Pratchett

Read March 12-13
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Parodies elements of Faust, The Illiad, The Odyssey, and Dante's Inferno.
Synopsis 
Eric, a fourteen-year-old demonology hacker, has tried to summon a demon to make three wishes. Instead of getting a demon, he somehow gets Rincewind (the worst wizard ever, well at least one of them). Eric is very bad at his job but Rincewind might just be worse. For his three wishes, he wants to live forever, become the master of the kingdoms in the world, and meet the most beautiful woman who has ever lived (or at least one of the top 100 or so).

By some unforeseeable reason, Rincewind is somehow able to make these wishes happen. At least a version of them. Eric does not know what he has gotten himself into. The adventure that he, Rincewind, and the Luggage go on will make him wish that he was never born.

Thoughts
The ninth novel in the Discworld series and the fourth in the Unseen University/Rincewind subseries. Rincewind is one of the characters I always enjoy seeing in the series. His books have never been my favorites but this one was the best so far of his subseries. He is hilarious to read about especially with all of the other characters of the Discworld. This is another book in the series that can be read by itself but I still do recommend reading the other books. There are so many in-jokes in this book that make more sense after reading the other books. You don't have to read them to read this book though. I have reviews for many of the other books in the series if you would like to check them out. Here is a link to them: Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

My favorite part of this book is the parodies throughout. I love how Terry plays off of these stories and is able to create his own unique take on them. His dry wit and jokes always amuse me and this was one of the best.

I am going to say that I'm not a big fan of the illustrations in this version of the book. They were okay but not the best for the series. Paul Kidby is a much better illustrator. One of my major complaints is that Rincewind is made to look too much older than he should be. This does not go against my reading experience or how much I enjoyed the book. It is still another favorite from the series.

Favorite Scenes

1. The Discworld's version of the Battle of Troy: This was probably my favorite part of this book and one of the best scenes in the series so far. I loved Terry's takes on these scenes and how this played into one of Eric's three wishes. 

2. Eric and Rincewind's voyage into Hell: I'm not going to go to much into details here but this was another part of the book that I loved. Terry's character that is supposed to be a version of Odysseus is the best minor character in this book. His scene in Hell/Hades/ The Underworld is hilarious. 

Book 35: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 

by Jonathan Safran Foer 

Read March 16-17
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After Oskar's father dies in the World Trade Center on 9/11, Oskar finds an envelope with a key. He sets out on a mission to figure out the mystery of this key. It will lead him on a journey throughout the five boroughs of New York, to meet many different people and also to find some peace. There feeling of uncertainty that follows, when he believes that his mother is not grieving for his father in the correct ways. He is also trying to come to terms with how he should feel himself. He might have lost his father but this new mystery makes him feel close to him still. What lock will the key fit into and does it even matter?

Told in a stream of consciousness narrative, we follow Oskar and also his grandparents. Oskar's perspective was written in an interesting way that I was engrossed in the entire time. He would be thinking about one thing and would tell you about it and then go to something else entirely. Sometimes you might even wonder why something he has said was important. It all is.
We also get the story of Oskar's grandparent's whose love story was a stunning experience.

Jonathan Safran Foer has a writing style like no other that I have ever read. I thought that all of the perspectives felt authentic and added a lot to this heartbreaking story. I connected to each of the characters but to Oskar the most. He broke my heart, especially with that powerful ending. I would have been around the same age as Oskar when 9/11 happened and I cannot even begin to imagine what he goes through in this book. The grief that he, his mother, and grandmother have to go through was something that was reflected well in this narrative. This is a story that has touched my heart more than most and I know that I will always remember it. I have never cried as much with a book like I did near the ending of this.

I will be doing my book to movie adaptation review on this compared to its movie. This was a movie that I really loved when I watched it years ago. I can't wait to see how they compare to each other. 

Dedication to Terry Pratchett

Dedication to Terry Pratchett

March 12th, 2018

It has been three years since Terry Pratchett's death on March 12th, 2015. There's not a day that I don't think of his books or how amazing his mind was. He will always be missed. #SpeakHisName. He has become one of my favorite authors of all time and is a writer that I admire a lot. 

I remember when I first picked up one of Terry's books. It was in late 2013, I was trying to find books that were similar to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Good Omens was recommended to me. I had never heard of Terry Pratchett before this but I had heard of Neil Gaiman before, having read Stardust. A little bit after that I bought the book and fell in love with the writing style. After I read the book, I looked up what else Terry had written and found out about the Discworld series and all of the other books he had written. At the time, the Discworld series was at forty books, which intimidated me. I wanted to pick the books up but a forty-book series (which would become a forty-one book series) scared me away a bit. 

On the day of his death, I was on Facebook looking at posts on a Harry Potter fan page. They had posted about Terry that day saying that he passed away earlier in the day. I remember looking at the quote that they had put, “No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away...” ― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man, and tearing up a little. I never knew the man in real life and I wish that I had. I really at the time did not even know him as a writer either and on that day I vowed that I would read his entire Discworld series someday. 

Fast forward to last year, I had asked my parents for my college graduation present for the Discworld series (well the ones that were out at the time in the Gollancz Discworld Collector's Library series). I started reading the series in March and fell in love with the Discworld and its characters. Now, I wish that I had read the series years before but I'm glad that I'm reading them. Terry has not only become one of my favorite writers of all time but also someone that I look up to as a writer. I'm still a young writer in regards to someone like him and one day I hope to be half as good as him. He was one incredible man.

I have read nine of the books so far and I'm reading Eric right now. If I wanted to I could have read the series probably in two months, three at the most, but I didn't want to. I enjoy writing my reviews of these books and taking the time to really feel a part of each book. I have enjoyed every visit to Ankh-Morpork, the Unseen University, my time with each of the characters: Rincewind, Death, Granny Weatherwax, the Librarian, the Luggage and so many more. I want to be able to take the time to enjoy this series for the first time and can't wait for many more readings of the books. 

So on this day, I wanted to honor Terry with this dedication. Over the past year, I have enjoyed writing reviews on here for the books I have read (well besides The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, I wasn't doing reviews at that time) of his and will continue to do so. I have also enjoyed talking about his books and recommending them to anyone I can. If anyone is feeling intimated by his books like I was, don't be. It's a series that I believe everyone should try and trust me if you're a fantasy fan it probably won't be hard to get sucked in by this world. He had a one of kind writing style that I cannot get enough of. My Terry Pratchett collection keeps growing all the time and I hope one day I'll be able to say I own all of his books. 

Love you, Terry. 

2018 Reviews Week 8

2018 Reviews Week 8

February 19th- 25th, 2018

Book 24: Runebinder (The Runebinder Chronicles # 1)  
by Alex R. Kahler
Read by Zach Villa

Listened to February 18th- 19th, 2018
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Part Avatar: the Last Airbender; Part fantasy world with mages, witches, wizards, and demons; and Part dystopian, apocalyptic world 

Elemental magic is used in a world that is now falling because of a greed for power. Once- human monsters called Howls are prowling the streets, hungry and guided by the necromancers and the all-powerful Kin. Hunters try to fight back and save the world using the magic that started the fight. But they are losing.

We follow the story of Tenn, one of the hunters who is trying to fight for the ones he loves and cares about. Memories of Tenn's past and many others, flood the narration as Tenn finds out he is being singled out. He is becoming a pawn in a bigger game than he ever realized. His magic is also becoming hazardous to himself and the ones he loves as he begins to not be able to control it.

This world that Alex has created in this story was intriguing and entertaining to listen to with this audiobook. I could not get enough of the magic especially the elemental aspects of it. I really enjoyed learning how the element that each person was inclined to went along with their temperament and way of thinking. I loved the control that they had over their magic but also seeing how it could take over them. Especially with Tenn.

Tenn, who is more inclined to the element of water, is much more emotional and affected by his past then others around him seem to be. He also is able to see what has happened to others around him after they die. His romance was also one of my favorite aspects of this story. I am glad that it is not the only thing that drives him on though. There was a great mixture of both.

Alex has created a voice for each character, specifically, the main character that will build this part dystopian, part fantasy world into a tale unlike any other. I am going to say right now, that this is probably my favorite dystopian world that I have ever read about. The mixture between the dystopian aspects of our world mixed with magic was one of the best parts. The magic comes alive in this masterful performance and tale. I cannot recommend it enough.

*I was given a copy of this audiobook for free for an honest review* 

Book 25: Once Upon a Time Machine #1 

Edited by Andrew Carl

Read February 20th, 2018

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After reading Once Upon a Time Machine #2, I was really looking forward to going back and reading the first volume of these reimagined stories. I will say that I enjoyed some of these fairy tale twists but most of them were not as good as the ones in the second volume. There were twenty-five retold tales in this volume. Out of those, I would say that I enjoyed five. The rest were okay but not as good as I was hoping. I would pick this up if you are interested but you should really pick up the second volume when that comes out. It's so much better. 

Book 26: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Read February 22nd -23rd, 2018

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“The three rules of the Librarians of Time and Space are: 1) Silence; 2) Books must be returned no later than the last date shown; and 3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality.”
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Synopsis 
This is the eighth novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the first book in the City Watch subseries. 

Carrot has been raised by the dwarfs since he was a baby. His father, the king of the dwarfs decides to finally tell him that he was not actually a dwarf but a human that they had found. He sends Carrot to the city of Ankh-Morprk, to be part of the City Watch. Hilarity ensues. 

The City Watch is run by Captain Sam Vimes, a drunkard man who does not seem to want his job too much. Carrot starts to cause problems when he begins to arrest people around Ankh-Morprk who are committing crimes. Captain Vimes is informed that one of his workers has arrested the head of the Thieves Guild for stealing stuff. Carrot does not realize how things work in Ankh- Morpk. You can't go arresting people for committing crimes. 

When wizards summon a dragon into existence, it is made the first king of Ankh- Morpk in a long time. He is a noble dragon. Also, he has a nasty habit of burning everything around him when he gets angry. The City Watch and many brave citizens risk everything to try and dethrone the beast. 

“A book has been taken. A book has been taken? You summoned the Watch," Carrot drew himself up proudly, "because someone's taken a book? You think that's worse than murder?"
The Librarian gave him the kind of look other people would reserve for people who said things like "What's so bad about genocide?”
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Overall Thoughts
This series just keeps getting better and better as it goes on. Terry Pratchett wrote some of the best characters and scenes in literature, let alone fantasy. The citizens of Ankh-Morpk are insane in the best way possible. This book really has a lot of the humor of the series come out through the interactions of the characters. I loved the new characters in this book, especially the City Watch and also the return of old favorites such as Death and the Librarian. 

In blue, I have put some of my favorite quotes from the book. There are too many to put into this post but these are some of the best. Below, I have the dedication from the beginning of the book. 

As a fan of the series, I just keep getting more impressed by everything in this series. If you would like to see my other reviews click on Terry Pratchett's Discworld link above or here. 

I recommend this series to everyone. It's one of a kind and is becoming my favorite series of all time. 

“They may be called the Palace Guard, the City Guard, or the Patrol. Whatever the name, their purpose in any work of heroic fantasy is identical: it is, round about Chapter Three (or ten minutes into the film) to rush into the room, attack the hero one at a time, and be slaughtered. No one ever asks them if they want to.

This book is dedicated to those fine men.”

― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Book 27: Don't Look At Me 
by J. P. Grider

Read February 24th, 2018
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This is one of the best contemporary retellings of a fairy tale that I have read, ever. It is a modern-day Beauty and the Beast tale that is twisted and reversed. The story follows our two protagonists. The first being Haven, a young woman who is working as a broadcast journalist until she is attacked one night. The man that attacks her cuts up her face, leaving it heavily scared with gashes and a large hole. Her confidence is destroyed that night and she believes that her life will never go back to normal. Fearing that the world outside will judge her for being "ugly", she hides away in her house.

The second being Quest, a young man who was discharged from the army for trying to fix a wrong. He is now plagued by nightmares of what he has done. His whole perspective of himself has been warped and he feels that he is no longer good enough. Both Haven and Quest meet under circumstances that neither expect and grow a friendship with each other.

I loved the time that was spent building Quest and Haven's relationship. Each perspective felt distinct and each of their voices was genuine. This story had me feeling for both of the characters and each had my heart the entire time. I'm glad that this was as great as I thought that it sounded. Also, it takes place in a bookstore for a good portion, which is almost always a plus. 

This was a great example of a story taking elements from a fairy tale but using them in the best ways. 
I cannot recommend this enough. 

*I was given a copy of this book for free from the author, for an honest review* 

Book 28: Taxes and Tardis by N. R. Walker
Read February 25th, 2018
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A cute love story that I have come to expect from N. R. Walker. I loved the story as a whole especially the whole "geek" loving the athletic man. Not a perfect story but it sure made me smile a lot. 

The ending was perfection.

2018 Reviews Week 4

2018 Reviews Week 4 

January 22nd- 28th, 2018

Book 12: Seventh Decimate (The Great God's War #1)

by Stephen R. Donaldson

Read by Scott Brick

Listened to January 20th- 22nd

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What made this story better for me was the audio reading of it by Scott Brick. The world that Stephen R. Donaldson created in this book was quite interesting and it made me want to keep listening to it. There could have been so much more though especially with descriptions. I never once had a clear vision of what I assumed was a rich world from what little we got. This book could have benefited with more visuals, details on the actual world, and better fleshed out characters. Basically, the world building is subpar and never fully drew me into this story or world.

With Scott Brick's powerful narration, he carries the tale of Prince Bifalt. The realms of Belleger and Amika have been at war for centuries. Sorcerers on both sides are leading the battles with the use of Decimates, natural substances that enhance their power. The prince was chosen to go on a quest to find the book of the seventh Decimate to save his father’s land. 

Brick creates a distinct voice for each character, with the prince having the most development. He not only reflects every fault of the prince but also his overall agency. I just wish that I could have related to one character or was able to know more about them. Each is quite bland with Bifalt being the only one with any depth. Not much of one though. It just does not feel like this book was fleshed out as much as it could have been. Brick does a great job narrating what he was given to read. 

The first half of the book is very slow and the second half picks up. I believe that this book had a great premise and an interesting enough delivery. Really, I just wanted so much more from this than what I got. 

* I received this for free for an honest review *

Book 13: Soulwind by Scott Morse
Will be published February 6th, 2018
Read January 24th
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~ A Short Synopsis ~
A complex tale going between the story of a young boy who is transported across the universe trying to get the legendary sword Soulwind, an old woman who is somehow connected to him trying to figure out what has happened to her son, and another young boy who somehow is given the sword. One sword connects each story together. With a mixture of ancient myths, classic fairy tales, and a futuristic adventure throughout the universe, each part combines to create a very unique and intriguing tale. It will keep the reader guessing what will happen next. 

~ Writing Style
This was one of the most interestingly laid out stories that I have ever read in a graphic novel. There are three main pieces of this story that I mentioned above. Throughout the entire plot, the story jumps back and forth between each of these elements. At first, this feels a bit disjointed but as you continue to get more and more pieces to the story, they flow together flawlessly. It takes some time to figure out what is actually going on in this story but once you do it really comes together so well. This helps the mystery continue on throughout a good portion of the plot with the reader able to use each piece. The way that the author has combined both fantastical elements along with the science fiction fits perfectly with the story.

~ The Art, Lettering, and Coloring ~
The art fits along perfectly with the style of the writing and also the plot. Each of the different subplots is illustrated in a different way that fits the story that is being told along with them. Also, the black and white illustrations keep it subtle and simplistic. The style changes a bit for each of the parts but still feels like it connects so well together as a whole. We start in a monastery with a little boy trying to figure out why the monks don’t like him having objects. He eventually finds a sword in the water. For these sections, there is a very minimalist style. Then we get pulled to another story with cartoony animals, primates, robots, and a boy who are all searching for a sword. Then there are the scenes with the older woman that seem to have both a whimsical style but also somewhat of a minimalistic style. Each of these gets switched between by page or by groups of pages. You never know where or how the story is going to go but that adds to the story as a whole.

~ Final Thoughts ~
Overall, I felt like this was a creative tale that stood out with its intricate plot, beautiful illustrations, fascinating characters, and a great mixture of fantasy and science fiction. If you like books with the chosen one but are much more complex than that you would probably be interested in this. Scott Morse created a story that resembles an ancient myth but that also feels modern in its storytelling. I highly recommend this.

* I received this for free for an honest review *

Book 14: Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
Read January 26th- 27th
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The seventh novel and the first individual story in the Discworld series that is not part of a subseries. You can read this book on its own if you would like. I do recommend reading the rest of the series because you may miss out on the jokes. I have done reviews for the other Discworld books and will link them below for you to look at if you would like. I recommend this series to anyone.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld 

Synopsis 
It focuses on the prince and then king, Teppic of the kingdom of Djelibeybi, basically the Discworld's equivalent of Ancient Egypt. Teppic spends the novel trying to figure out how to be the next pharaoh, though he has some problems because he was trained in Ankh-Morpork's assassins' school. The first task of his is to make the most suitable resting place for his father, the largest pyramid ever. Even though their country is penniless. Then he has to deal with an insane priest who has been pulling the strings behind the kings for a long time.

Characters

Teppic: 
At the age of twelve, Teppic is taken to the famed Assassins' Guild to be trained by the best. The god-to-be was excited when he was first sent there for seven years of his education. He also was having a lot of fun in his classes and learning from everything around him in the city of Ankh-Morpork. That was until he was actually expected to kill someone. Before he can even do the deed, he finds out from a dream that his father has died. He is then summoned home to take over as the ruler of his kingdom and to make the sun rise and stuff like that.

Teppic is one of my favorite of Terry Pratchett's characters so far. He's the first pharaoh in a line of over one thousand to ever question Dios at all, which sounds very absurd (but that's the point). I really liked the dynamic of him being taught outside of the kingdom and learning about modern advances, such as plumbing. It really is a cultural shock for him when he goes to the Assassin's Guild because of just how backward the kingdom actually is. That's all because of dear old Dios, the high priest. A lot of his interactions as a pharaoh with his citizens are forced and contrived by Dios to make him seem more god-like. I thought it was quite a clever way of playing around with the ancient myths and these beliefs. Everyone in their kingdom believes the pharaohs to be doing these acts but in all reality, there is a sincere really old man behind them.

Dios:

The high priest who has been "interpreting" everything for the kings that have been ruling for thousands of years. He never ages and is always there not letting any of the laws or anything else change along the way. Basically, he is the ruler. He has created this facade for the kings to make them seem like they are gods when really it's all in his own mind. Dios is quite insane in his actions.

Probably one of the most annoying, unlikeable, and humorous characters from the series. Dios has kept the kingdom of Djelibeybi backward for thousands of years. I enjoyed watching his conniving nature and what he actually pulled throughout this entire book. It was quite comical. Teppic would say something and then he would "translate" what he was saying. Every time it was the exact opposite thing.

Favorite Parts

1.  The camel name You Bastard: Each of the camels mentioned in the book had a name similar to this, basically named after a phrase that humans use for them. In You Bastard's case, get going you bastard. You Bastard is a genius camel and the greatest mathematician on the disc (Discworld). Actually, all camels are vastly intelligent animals (at least in the Discworld) but are thought of to be stupid because they take too long to do things. The camel was doing Quantum mechanics in his head during many scenes. This was one of the most absurd and most entertaining scenes that I have ever read in my entire life. 

“The fact is that camels are far more intelligent than dolphins. They are so much brighter that they soon realised that the most prudent thing any intelligent animal can do, if it would prefer its descendants not to spend a lot of time on a slab with electrodes clamped to their brains or sticking mines on the bottom of ships or being patronized rigid by zoologists, is to make bloody certain humans don't find out about it. So they long ago plumped for a lifestyle that, in return for a certain amount of porterage and being prodded with sticks, allowed them adequate food and grooming and the chance to spit in a human's eye and get away with it.” 

― Terry Pratchett, Pyramids (This quote made me think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams). 

2. The long title that Dios recites every single time he mentions the pharaohs: During any time he mentions Teppic, Dios recites the same long title that I have quoted below. Each time it gets funnier especially with Teppic's reactions to it.

“His Greatness the King Teppicymon XXVIII, Lord of the Heavens, Charioteer of the Wagon of the Sun, Steersman of the Barque of the Sun, Guardian of the Secret Knowledge, Lord of the Horizon, Keeper of the Way, the Flail of Mercy, the High Born One, the Never-Dying King.”- Terry Pratchett, Pyramids 

3. The Ghost of Teppicamon XVII (Teppic's father): Teppic's father is probably my favorite character in this book right below Teppic and You Bastard. I really enjoyed watching him complain about the pyramid and him trying to get everyone to listen to him. It was quite enjoyable. 

4. The play on the Sphinx riddle: One final part that I really enjoyed from this book was Teppic and the Sphinx's scene. I won't spoil the genius of this scene here but it is one of the best in this book and any of Terry Pratchett's books. Loved it. 

Ending Thoughts
I really loved the world that Terry created in this book and I hope that we will see this kingdom again in another one of the books. It would be interesting to see what happens after the ending, which I thought was perfect. All in all, this was another favorite in the series. I love the absurd humor that flows throughout this entire book and the rest of the Discworld series. It has become one of my favorite examples of British humor in Literature. I can't get enough of this series and cannot recommend it enough.

My Favorite Books of 2017

Favorite Books Read in 2017

Here are my top ten percent favorite books of the year out of two hundred, so twenty books (well sort of). All of the books that I have listed below are in order of how I read them this year. I will mention below this list what my top five favorite books were. I did not count any of my rereads from this year though because I reread my top six favorite books of all time. I have reviews for most of these books here on my blog. If there is a review for it, I'll put a 📚 beside it.

1.)  A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- Read January 9th
 When I first heard of this book I was not really sure about it. It was getting a lot of hype as this book with a heartfelt message. I then picked it up and read it in a few hours. This book is one of the most moving books that I have ever read. I was not expecting the overall message in this book. I made sure to go in not really knowing much about it, which is how I recommend reading it. The monster's tales that he told Connor were great and I loved it so much. I will say that this is a tear jerker and broke my heart.

2.)  Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan- Read the whole series January 10th- 12th

I have decided to put all of the books from the Percy Jackson series in this list because it's a favorite of mine as a whole. This is a series that I should have read years ago and I kind of wish that I did. I have owned it for years and I just never picked it up. Shortly after I started the first book, I could not put them down. This has become one of my favorite series of all time and I still cannot stop thinking about it almost a year later. Each book stands out with the references large or small to the original Greek Myths. Greek Mythology is one of my favorite things to read about and I love that there are many middle-grade series that have such great use of these classics. Percy is such a relatable character and his way of narrating his tales had me laughing out loud. I was invested in his life and his friend's lives so much and I did not want to leave them. The Last Olympian was a great ending to this series and is one of my favorite endings to a series ever. It felt like the best way to close this series. 

I will be picking up more of Rick Riordan's series this coming year and I cannot wait. 

3.) Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt- Read February 11th- 12th
When I had first read the synopsis of this book a couple of years ago I thought that it would be a good book. Now after reading the book I know that I was wrong. It was not only a good book it was an amazing book. A great read and an amazing story. Toby and June's friendship was something that I could not get enough of. I really got attached to every character. Another tear-jerk of the year. I love the ideas of art, love, and friendship that fill this book. One of my favorites of the year for its incredible message and for characters that I loved more than anything.


4.) Stranger than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer- Read March 1st
 This is Chris Colfer's second young adult book and I believe it was just as good as his first Struck by Lightning. Cash Carter is a young actor from a very popular television show (Chris has said that this is somewhat based off of events in his life). Four friends who have been obsessed with the show since they were kids jokingly invite him on a road trip. They are very surprised when he says yes. Cash has been hiding many dark secrets though from everyone that explain his dejected attitude about everything. Slowly, the teens and Cash develop a deep relationship. I love the sarcastic humor throughout this book. I was not expecting how sad this would get.

5.) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- Read April 20th-26th 📚
Dorian Gray is a self-absorbed man who treats the ones that love and care about him horribly. He becomes completely enamored by a portrait of himself that his friend, Basil Hallward painted of him. After another friend, Lord Henry mentions that he will eventually lose his beauty he becomes obsessed with the idea of how the painting will never lose its beauty but he will. Dorian sells his soul so that he would never age as his portrait changes. Over time he changes into a man that only cares for himself and uses those around him. The portrait then starts to reflect the man he truly is, a corrupt man who is vain.

It is interesting to watch Dorian's self-destruction as he loses every bit of redeemable qualities that he once had. The story is slow at the beginning but it is completely worth getting through the first thirty or so pages. Dorian becomes a detestable man that it is hard to feel a bit sorry for him but his decline into narcissism is one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone. His self-absorption in the fact that his beauty will eventually end is quite fascinating and I kept wondering what else this man would do.

6.) Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi- Read May 1st- 3rd 📚
This was a great novel and it makes me want to read more of Tahereh Mafi's works. She writes in clever prose with beautiful lyrical writing. Also, her asides are quite funny along with the chapter introductions. She has a companion to this book that came out last year called Whichwood that I will be reading soon. This story is geared towards Middle Grade but I cannot help but think that anyone would have a fun time reading this (I believe anyone can enjoy a good Middle-Grade novel. I don't care what age you are). Not only is this a great adventure story but it also is a story about individuality. Alice is never afraid of being herself and will let anyone know this. She, I believe would be a great inspiration for younger readers and even older readers.


7.) 180 Seconds by Jessica Park- Read May 7th 📚
It's not every day that I adore a book from the first page of it but I became utterly hooked on this book from the very first page. There was something about Simon and Allison's relationship in the first chapter that made me adore them so much. I did not know too much going into this book. I knew that Allison was a college student who had been adopted at the age of sixteen. That interested me so much because one I had never read a book with a character that had been adopted at such a late age and was very interested to see what would happen. Her interactions with Simon (her adopted father) are so beautiful and I adored them immensely as characters.

8.) Bull by David Elliot- Read May 18th 📚
One of the greatest aspects of this book is the fact that it was written in verse. I can not imagine how long this book would have taken to write let alone contemplate. I love the idea of writing in verse myself since I love writing poetry and I love reading it. The author explains at the end the types of verse that he used throughout for each character. Every one of the characters speaks differently and brings new layers to the story.

What I really liked about David's book was that, yes he stuck to the myth but he added character and motivations to the story that were not already there before. He explained at the end his process in writing this and I loved that he did this. This is one of my all-time favorite Greek myths and he added a layer to the story that made me love it so much more. Asterion, the Minotaur becomes a tragic character in this story that I loved. In the original myth he really never had much of a character but in this David makes the character have new dimensions. I felt bad for him.

9.) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton- Read May 24th- 26th 📚
 I have said this before on this blog but I'll say it again. When I was in tenth grade I really loved learning about the Tudor family and everything else about England at that time period. Really, I just loved my history class at that time but still. I thought that their story would be an interesting historical fiction novel and I have been looking for one ever since. Last year, I heard of this book for the very first time and I knew that I would have to pick it up. Man, am I happy that I did. This became a new favorite historical fiction novel and novel with humor in it for me. I love the characters especially Jane and also the plot. The beginning of this novel is similar to what actually happened in history and then it becomes its own thing. I loved the mixture of history and fantastical elements and I could not get enough of it. Now this year, the Lady Janies have a new book coming out called My Plain Jane which I will be reading when it comes out. :)

10.) Heartless by Marissa Meyer- Read June 9th 📚
I adored this book and it was hard for me to read it at times because I knew what was going to happen to Catherine the whole time. This is the origin story of the Queen of Hearts one of the memorable characters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Throughout the story, each of the denizens of Wonderland is shown and we learn how they ended up where they are and how they are in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Catherine is the future Queen of Hearts who has the affection of the King of Hearts who deeply loves the young woman. Catherine does not want his love or to become queen, she wants to open up her own bakery. She is known throughout the kingdom for her wonderful treats. At the ball, that she is supposed to be proposed to at, she meets Jest, who she falls hard for. She and Jest secretly court each other because of her family and the king. Catherine wants nothing more than choosing her path but she has fate to fight with. She will be the future Queen of Hearts even if she does not want it.

I really loved how Carollian the writing in this book was. Marissa Meyer did an incredible job creating her own story but also making it feel like it could have been written by Lewis Caroll himself.

11.) The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer- Read July 11th 📚
Chris Colfer has been a favorite author of mine since 2012 when his first book The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell came out. I have loved Chris from his first episode of Glee and I still do. His books are just so special to me and I kind of wish that they would have come out when I was a kid. That is not saying that I did not enjoy them now because I adore them. Really, I just wish I could have been lucky enough to grow up with them like the kids are now. I am much older than the target audience of this series, even though I don't really believe that you have to be a certain age to enjoy a book. The Land of Stories is one of my favorite series of life and that will never change. Every single year I have done a reread of each of the books leading up to the release of the new one (I'm going to miss doing this). This was a great end to a series that I have loved for five years. The characters are great, the lands he created are all so vivid, and this world is one that I would live in, in a heartbeat. I have compared the feeling of finishing this series to when I finished the Harry Potter series ten years ago. This is actually the first series that I read along with as each of the books was released instead of reading them months or even years later. This was the perfect ending book to a series that I have loved for years and I cannot wait to see the companion series that he is planning on writing. I will be reading it as soon as they come out. As I said above in Stranger than Fanfiction, I have read every one of Chris's books and I don't plan on ever stopping. Also, I am beyond excited for the movies. I may be one of the only adults that will be there without children, but I will be seeing it as soon as it comes out.

12.) Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor- July 30th- August 2nd

Laini Taylor has a writing style that I simply adore and this story was one of the best that I have ever read. Lazlo and Sarai's stories are beautiful and I could not get enough of this book. This is my second of her books with Daughter of Smoke and Bone being my first a few years ago. Strange the Dreamer has a world that I would love to live in and characters that I connected with so much. Also, that ending was powerful. I'm interested in seeing what will happen in the next book. Laini's style may not be for everyone but it is for me. It's lyrical, poetic, and each line feels alive in itself. This book was perfection.

13.) The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Veronica Fish (Illustrator)- Read September 2nd 📚

 This is a stunning graphic novel and is one of the best that I have ever seen visually if not the best. The illustrations/art by Veronica Fish are incredible and I just want to keep looking at them. The story is also great. I love retellings or stories that take a twist on original tales and this one was definitely very good. Melissa Jane Osborne takes the tale of Peter Pan and twists it into a story of grief and how to overcome great obstacles. The notebook-like design is not only clever and beautiful but it also goes perfectly with the story that Melissa is telling. I recommend this book to anyone that loves the original tale of Peter Pan and graphic novels. This was a great take on a classic story that I cannot get enough of. Also, it looks absolutely stunning and has a great texture to the cover. I could gush about it forever. Please, if the premise of this book sounds even a bit interesting to you, pick it up. You will not regret it. 

14.) The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell- Read September 10th 📚

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this novel. The fantasy story was interesting and also cute. I rooted for all of the characters especially our two main characters, Xar and Wish. Also, the witches are interestingly different than I have ever seen before and are creepy. Cressida Cowell is great at story building and writes with a voice throughout the story that I could not get enough of. Her use of wit and narration are great parts of this story. This is the first book of Cressida's that I have picked up and know I will pick up others of hers. She is known for writing the popular How to Train Your Dragon book series that the two Dreamworks movies are based on. Middle-grade fantasy is a genre that I have always loved and this is an incredible example of one of the best. She builds this world that I felt like I was walking around in when listening to this book. The creepiness of these witches and also just the deep dark forest was perfect for the story. She says at the beginning that we may have heard of deep dark forests before but we really don't know what we are getting into. Her descriptions throughout were perfect to show this.

David Tennant did a great job creating a distinct voice for each of the characters. I have loved David Tennant since I first saw him in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire movie and also in a few episodes of Doctor Who.  He gave each of the characters a voice that seemed to fit their characters. My favorites were for the sprites, which were amazing. So adorable. He could literally read any audiobook and I would listen to them. That is because he made these characters come alive and created this atmosphere of a reading experience that I will never forget. Saying that I enjoyed listening to this book is an understatement. He made this book so much for me and I know that I will be picking up the rest of the series once they come out.

15.) Mort by Terry Pratchett- Read September 23rd- 25 📚
 The fourth book in the Discworld series and the first in the Death subseries, which is so far my favorite of the subseries. Death has been in each of the books so far because he comes when someone dies. This book focuses on him taking on an apprentice and then trying to find a more "normal" job for himself. Death both understands humankind more than we ever could because he has watched us for so long, but also is trying to still understand emotions and the actions of humans.
His adventures and quotes within this book our some of the best I have ever read in literature let alone in this series. This easily made it onto my favorites list. I can't wait to get more of Death's story throughout the novels.

16.) The Marvels by Brian Selznick- Read October 9th 📚

The Marvels tells two different stories that connect in such an amazing way. The first is told in about 400 pages of continuous pictures. It begins with a boy named Billy who is shipwrecked in 1766 and eventually finds work at a theater in England. Throughout this story, we follow the rest of his family throughout the generations and their life as actors. This is up until 1900 when Leontes Marvel is banished from the theater.

The second part of this story takes place almost a century later, in 1990, with the runaway Joseph Jervis. He has come to England from his boarding school to try and find his uncle. Albert Nightingale, his uncle, is known to be a strange man living in the most stunningly beautiful house, that contains many secrets. Joseph becomes fascinated in this house and his uncle. He tries everything to figure out what has happened in the past with his family and also the house.

I loved both sides of this story and especially the twist that we find out in the second part of this story. This is definitely my favorite of Brian Selznick's books. I would recommend reading this and his others. They are all very good.

17.) The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo- Read November 3rd-4th 📚
 This is a beautiful fairy tale collection set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Each story in this collection is accompanied with illustrations on every page which grow with each page until they make a two-page spread illustration at the end. Besides the illustrations, the stories are just as stunning if not more. Leigh Bardugo's writing is one of my favorites ever and I could not get enough of each of these stories. Some were based on some of the original fairy tales and other classic tales, and others were completely of Leigh's own creation. I loved how each story had the feel of a classic fairy tale to them. Really, I could have had twenty more of these tales and I would have been happy. I hope that she will eventually write more of these. I'll definitely buy them. Also, I cannot wait to read more of her books this year. I will be at least reading her Wonder Woman book.

18.) Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao- Read November 15th-18th 📚
From the first sentence of this audiobook, I was hooked. I have not read many books where the villain was the protagonist. I really loved this retelling/ origin story of the Evil Queen. The Snow White fairy tale has always been one of my favorites and this twist on that was enjoyable to read. It definitely became a new favorite one for me out of any of the Snow White or any other retellings. I loved Julie's take on this story and how she made it her own.

My favorite aspect of this book was how Julie made this her own story. I just love how she took these classic concepts and twisted them into a novel that I could not stop listening to. It became one of my favorites last year among a list as you have seen here that is quite extensive. I cannot wait for the next book in this duology, which I will be picking up as soon as it comes out.

19.) Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen (Illustrator)- Read December 13th 📚
I had heard so many incredible things about this graphic novel series since it had first come out. At the end of last year, I was lucky enough to get the chance to review this first volume for the website Impulse Gamer. This was even more incredible than what I had heard before. It is definitely in my top graphic novel picks along with I Hate Fairyland and the Wendy Project. The illustrations in this graphic novel are stunning watercolor designs that just pop out. The story was very compelling. I really connected to TIM and cannot wait to continue his story in the near future. This is one incredible volume that I would recommend to anyone to read. It has a great mix of action, adventure, and science fiction.

20.) Hogfather by Terry Pratchett- Read December 26th- 29th 📚
This has been a great year of reading and I'm glad that this was one of my final books of the year. I loved starting Terry Pratchett's Discworld series last year and cannot wait to continue with Pyramids this month. Hogfather was one of the darkest so far for me of the Discworld series and also the funniest. It was entertaining reading about Death saving Hogswatch and also the world along with it. So far this is one of my favorites of the series. Terry Pratchett was an incredible writer and person and I would recommend them to everyone. He was one of a kind and it devastates me to know that he has not been with us for almost three years now. What an incredible mind and person. I cannot express to you enough about how much you should read this book and the whole series in general. If you love a great fantasy you should read this. If you love the feeling around Christmas you should read this. And finally, if you love a great story you should read this. This was an incredible book that I cannot speak more highly of. Also, Death is one of my all-time favorite characters out of any book.

Top 5 Favorite Books of the year
5. Mort by Terry Pratchett
4. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
3. The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer
2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (because I'm counting this as one)
1. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Week 17

Week 17 Reviews
December 23rd- 31st

Book 1- Father Christmas's the Fake Beard 
(short story collection)

by Terry Pratchett 

Read December 22nd -24th 

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This is a great collection of short stories that for the most part I really enjoyed. I love Terry Pratchett's humorous style of writing and the wit that he always uses. This is no exception to that. Below I will give a short review for each of eleven short stories and a rating for each. The illustrations in this book were also great and I loved how it was designed. Overall, it was a joy to read his Christmas tales.

"Father Christmas's Fake Beard"
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I believe that Terry's stories that deal with Father Christmas are the best from this collection. Each just shows the joy of the holiday and are quite honestly just enduring tales. This one is told through a series of notes, where a store has hired someone who they believe is a fake Father Christmas (Santa Claus) for their toy department. Throughout the course of the memos, they slowly realize that they may have been quite wrong. The hijinks that continue on are quite hilarious.

"The Blackbury Pie"
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The first story dealing with the town of Blackbury, I liked these stories but not a lot. This story is about the mayor of the town wanting to give something to everyone in the town, especially the hungry, for Christmas. He decides on a giant pie. The story continues on from there.

"Prod-Ye-A'Diddle Oh!"
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Another tale from the town of Blackbury, about a game played on New Year's Day that is a cross between rugby, hopscotch, shove ha'penny, and vandalism. In the tale, a man who is the best on his team is trying to win the hand of the mayor's daughter, but the mayor gives him a request to do something he really doesn't want to do. This was a good story but the town of Blackbury really isn't that interesting.

"A Very Short Ice Age"
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A story about a little boy trying to navigate a large snowstorm. This one was quite simple but really cute.

"The Computer Who Wrote to Father Christmas"
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Father Christmas goes into an office and has a great conversation with the computer there. A sweet tale that has an equally great message and ending. I loved this one above the rest.

"Good King Wences-lost"
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A tale about a king that loves helping people, a large snowstorm, and a man lost in that snow. Hilarity follows as the king goes out into the snow to try and help a man. Also, a little bit of miscommunication. This was overall a solid piece.

"The Weatherchick"
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This one was actually my least favorite out of the overall collection. It's about a chick in the town of Blackbury that controls the weather.

"Judgement Day for Father Christmas"
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Father Christmas and many other mythical creatures are put on trial.

"The Abominable Snow-baby"
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A cute tale about a woman that befriends a baby abominable snowman and the troubles that this causes. This is another tale from Blackbury and is my favorite from that collection of tales.

"The Twelve Gifts of Christmas"
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A take on the twelve days of Christmas song. It makes the idea of someone giving those gifts to their love make much more sense and also the idea of it even more silly at the same time. So enjoyable to read.

"Father Christmas Goes to Work at the Zoo"
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When Father Christmas is forced to get a day job because he is bothering his wife at home. Let's just say I was not expecting competency with these jobs. 

Book 2- Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

Read December 27th

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This was a reread for me and I just adored it so much. Just recently I did a post on Carrie Fisher for the year anniversary of her death.

A good amount of this book was quite hard to read especially her talking about death and wanting to live for certain milestones. This has become sort of a poignant tale that holds a lot her personality and the story of her life up until the age of fifty. A great set of stories and mishaps from her life that I have enjoyed reading a second time around. I recommend this book to any fan of Carrie's, whether that be from Star Wars or from any of her other works. It is a gem. Also, the stage show/ documentary is really good too. 

Book 3- Hogfather by Terry Pratchett 

December 26th -29th 

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~ Brief Synopsis ~

This is the twentieth book of the Discworld series, though you do not have to read the rest of the series to read this. Also, this is book four in the Death subseries which focuses on the character of Death. I do recommend reading the series because you may miss out on the jokes. I have done reviews for the Discworld books earlier in the year and will link them below for you to look at if you would like. (I skipped ahead a little in the books because I wanted to read this for Christmas. I will be going back and continuing where I was at in January).
Terry Pratchett's Discworld 

This book takes place the night before Hogswatch (basically Christmas in the Discworld). The Auditors have decided that they need to "remove" the Hogfather...so they contact the Assassin's guild and Mr. Teatime (pronounced "Teh-ah-tim-eh." ) is sent to "inhum" him (though the Hogfather is more of a deity than a human). It becomes Teatime's mission to figure out how to kill the Hogfather because technically he can't die. Death has taken over the role of going down chimneys, giving kids gifts, and is trying to save the world. Susan, his granddaughter does not understand why he is doing this and goes on an adventure to try and help. 

~ Characters ~

Death is and will always be my favorite character in this series. We follow him and his manservant, 

Albert, as they go from house to house trying to spread the joys of Hogswatch and keep the children's faith in the Hogfather. Death is still trying to understand humans and the emotions that they show in situations. Reading about his adventures where he gives gifts to children, such a sword to a little girl (it's educational, obviously), is some of the best parts of this book. He has most of the best lines in this novel and his end speech is one of my favorites that I have read all year. (By the way, Death's dialogue in the books is marked in small caps. In the quote below I have put it in caps.) 

“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.” 

― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

Susan Sto Helit is the granddaughter of Death, who at the beginning of the novel we meet as a governess for two children. She is trying to keep the monsters away that the children keep seeing and also stay as normal as possible. As the granddaughter of Death, she has special powers. She is able to use his voice in certain instances throughout the novel to get people to do what she wants them to do. Also, she is able to see things that will happen as if they are memories. This was my first time reading a book with Susan and I really enjoyed her as a character. Her's is another one of the four different plots that we follow along in the novel as she tries to find out more about where the Hogfather is and what Death is doing. She's not afraid of speaking her mind even to Death and that is an enjoyable aspect of the story. I cannot wait to read more about her. 

Mr. Teatime, is the hired assassin, whose mission is to "inhum" the Hogfather before the morning of Hogswatch. This man is an insane genius. He can literally come up with a full proof plan for assassinated anything in a few minutes and is quite creepy to read about. One of his eyes is made of glass and the other is only a pinhole that he can see through. This man is innocent looking but you can tell by the way that he talks that he's far from innocent. Also, it is questioned throughout the entire novel if he was one that killed his parents when he was a small boy. I won't put it past him myself. His plot is the third that we follow throughout the novel. 

The final subplot which connects in with the story is at the Unseen University, with the wizards there. The wizards of the Unseen University are some of the most interesting characters in this series. They always seem to mess things up and just cause problems. Much of the humor in this novel comes from their scenes. Each time one of the wizards mentions a lare or penate, they are created instantly to fill the void that the Hogfather has created. Many of these creations are just so comical and just bring so much humor to this dark book.

Some other characters that were in the novel that were also quite interesting were The Death of Rats, Quoth the Raven,  Bilious the oh God of Hangovers, and the Cheerful Fairy. This is really just to name a few because there are so many characters to mention. 

~ Ending Thoughts ~

This book was one of the darkest so far for me of the Discworld series and also the funniest. It was entertaining reading about Death saving Hogswatch and also the world along with it. So far this is one of my favorites of the series and I cannot wait to read more of them next year. Out of any book or series that I recommend on this blog, this is the one that I recommend the most. Terry Pratchett was an incredible writer and person and I would recommend them to everyone. He was one of a kind and it devastates me to know that he has not been with us for almost three years now. What an incredible mind and person. I cannot express to you enough about how much you should read this book and the whole series in general. If you love a great fantasy you should read this. If you love the feeling around Christmas you should read this. And finally, if you love a great story you should read this. 

 I will be watching the miniseries in the next couple of days for this novel and I cannot wait. 

Book 4- Groo: Play of the Gods

December 29th 

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~ A Short Synopsis ~
The Groo graphic novels/ comics have been around for decades and I remember when I first heard about them when I was a kid. This is my first venture into his tales and I can honestly say that I'm surprised by how much I really enjoyed this simple little graphic novel. This follows along Groo, a very idiotic barbarian that literally ruins everything around him with just being there. His ultimate mission in this tale is for the search of the best cheese dip in the world. Hilarity follows him in every movement as he ultimately changes the course of the everyone's lives around him. Groo's dog, Rufferto follows him around as he adventures throughout this book and interjects little side comments throughout. He reminded me of Garfield in his way of making fun of the actions of Groo, similarly to how Garfield makes fun of Jon. It was quite funny to read.

~ Writing Style ~
Throughout the whole piece, we see not only the adventure of Groo but also the reactions of the Gods watching everything going on below them. The queen of the land is trying to spread out into other lands surrounding their own and spread the word of their one god to these lands. Each of the Gods blames Diothos for the fact that he is the only one that they are trying to worship and anyone believing in anyone else is getting hurt for it. As a famous sailor leads them to the land that he discovered each person has their own plan. The sailor wants to get gold for himself and leave the others. The priests want to spread the word of their god no matter what the cost, even if they have to hurt people (this actually becomes a funny joke throughout). Groo is tricked into coming for the best cheese dip and no one really wants him to come along.

What I really liked about the style of writing was the switch back and forth between the gods and the humans that they are arguing about. It was an interesting and rewarding choice in creation because this just added to the humor.

~ The Art, Lettering, and Coloring ~
The art style is wonderful to look at. It still has this old type of style with bright popping color for each of the characters. Each character stands out with their own specific styles that fit their characteristics. One of the best scenes is when the citizens of the new land start thinking up new gods. There are really ridiculous ones such as The God of Repetition (who then repeats everything he says multiple times throughout), The God of Spelling Things Backwards, and my favorite: The God of Procrastination. Each of these gods looks different from each other and many have a look that matches what they are gods of. The more gods added to this scene looked great together.

The lettering really is nothing too spectacular but it goes along perfectly with the style of the drawings and the coloring. All of the dialogue stands out great against what is happening in the images. They look great together.

~ Final Thoughts ~
This is the graphic novel that I wanted and needed to read at the end of the year. I loved the humor and the style of each panel. Groo was a character that grew on me almost instantly. The poor guy keeps messing up everything for many of the people around him and many will run away to avoid him. He doesn't even seem to realize or care and I found him enduring. The only downside that I really found in this piece was how slow it was at the beginning. It took me quite some time to actually get into this but once I did I was hooked. The art style and writing style make for a great experience. I cannot wait to read more of Groo's tales from the past and any more that will come out.

*I received this book for free for an honest review*

Book 5: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated Edition)
by J. K. Rowling
Read December 31st 
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This is probably the seventh or eighth time that I have read this book, really I have lost track now. It was actually this book that really got me into this series and hooked. It has been my favorite of the series since I was around ten and it still is. Even after reading it so many times, I still get so much joy reading this book. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are my two favorite characters from this series and I love their introductions in this book. I recommend this book to anyone who has never read it and also to those that have. What a great way to end this year of wonderful reading. Also, the illustrated edition is the most stunning book that I have ever seen. I recommend also getting the illustrated editions of the whole series they are beautiful.

Happy New Year to Everyone! 
Did you know that Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was published 200 years ago today? I thought that was pretty darn cool. I completely recommend reading it. It's a pretty good book and different than I ever expected. 

Friday Reviews Week 9

🍁 Friday Reviews Week 9: 🍁
October 28th- November 3rd 

🍂 Book 1: Lumberjanes Vol: 2 by 

Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, 

Maarta Laiho, and Brooke A. Allen

Read November 1st, 2017 🍂

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The second installment in the Lumberjanes graphic novel series. This was just as cute with the stories as the first. I'm really having a great time reading these. I'll probably continue to read one each week. One of the best parts of this one was the addition of Greek Mythology into the story. Usually, if something has Greek Mythology in it, that is something that makes me like it more. I thought that the humor brought in with this element, especially with Issue 8, made this for me. Each of the issues in this volume was about equal for me besides issue 7.  That one was my favorite. I'm glad that their camp counselor Jen, is now going on their adventures with them. She is one of the best characters in this series with her always knowing everything. 

Issue 5: 📚📚📚📚
Issue 6: 📚📚📚📚
Issue 7: 📚📚📚📚📚
Issue 8: 📚📚📚📚

Here's a link to all of my other posts on the Lumberjanes series: Lumberjanes Series

🍂 Book 2: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Read October 30th- November 2nd, 2017 🍂

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The sixth book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the second in the Witches subseries. This book is part of the overall series but can be read on its own. If you are new to the Discworld series or would like to know more about it you can use this link to see my other posts on them: Terry Pratchett's Discworld

This book reintroduces Granny Weatherwax. It also introduces two other witches Nanny Ogg, the matriarch of a large tribe of Oggs and the owner of the "most evil" cat ever, and also Magrat Garlick, a junior witch, who firmly believes in all things of the occult. This annoys the other two older witches greatly. The three witches/ wyrd sisters are the main characters of this book.

A Short Synopsis

"As the cauldron bubbled an eldritch voice shrieked: 'When shall we three meet again?' 

There was a pause.

Finally, another voice said, in far more ordinary tones: 'Well, I can do next Tuesday.'"

This book parodies many of Shakespeare's plays: Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. It borrows themes from each of these plays to help form this story. The book starts with the witches deciding on a time to meet. Magrat wants to start a witch coven with the other witches because she believes that this is what is meant to be done. "Granny" Esmerelda Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, who are much older witches do not really care for this sort of way of using magic. Throughout the whole book, we see them try to teach her the ways of magic and also learning from her. 

We then find out that the king of the land, King Verence has been killed by his cousin who wanted to take the kingdom for himself. Instead of being left to die peacefully, King Verence becomes a ghost and will remain a ghost until he fulfills his destiny. His cousin, Felmet was guided by his wicked wife to murder Verence for the throne (Terry really has fun with making the duke's wife).  Over the course of the novel, we see him trying to keep hold of the kingdom, while he slips into insanity. A major hindrance for him, at least as he believes, is the witches. He does not realize though that the witches really do not like getting into politics. Also, that witches are not actually what he believes.

After the witches are given the son of King Verence with a crown by mistake, they know that they have to find him a home. This is until he can take his rightful place on the throne. They know that it will eventually be his destiny to take over the throne. He is given to a troupe of theatre performers and the witches hide his crown in prop boxes. The story continues on from there to hilarious and strange places.

Overall Thoughts  

"'Ah,' said Nanny. She took the girl's (Magrat) arm. 'The thing is,' she explained, 'as you progress in the Craft, you'll learn there is another rule. Esme's obeyed it all her life.' 

'And what's that?'

'When you break rules, break 'em good and hard,' said Nanny, and grinned a set of gums that were more menacing than teeth." 

First of all, I have always thought Lady Macbeth was bad, well the duchess could give her a run for her money. She's just as manipulative, but more in a humorous way.  I don't find her to be as mad as Lady Macbeth though. Her husband, on the other hand, has completely lost any touch with his sanity. This is where the King Lear elements fall into play. The duke is followed along by his loyal Fool, who is probably the most sensible person on the duke's side. 

I love when an author uses themes from other stories and makes them their own. I have always been a fan of Shakespeare's plays, especially Macbeth and Hamlet. It was great being able to recognize the references to his plays throughout the book and made the scenes even funnier. Where it diverges from the original source material is what makes this book for me. I enjoyed getting to know each of the witches and seeing their relationship with each other and others. Granny Weatherwax became one of my favorite characters ever in Equal Rites and this book has just solidified that for me. All of the witches are so complex and intriguing. I cannot wait to read the other books with them. 

Also, the scene with Death near the end of this book is my favorite. I will never get enough of Death as a character. He's the best. I would write out the whole scene here, but it would spoil the book. I will put one quick quote though. 

"This worried Death. He was used to people claiming that they were not dead, because death always came as a shock, and a lot of people have some trouble getting over it. But people claiming that they were dead with every breath in their body was a new and unsettling experience." - Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. 

By all means, you don't have to have read any of the plays I mentioned to read this book. I believe that you would still enjoy it. But I do feel that many of the jokes that Terry Pratchett uses in this book are funnier because of my knowledge of these plays.

I cannot recommend this series enough. It may seem intimidating, but really it isn't once you get into it. You can really start it anywhere you want and you won't really miss anything. Each of the books stands on their own for the most part. I hope you enjoy Terry Pratchett's Discworld if you do decide to pick any of them up. I know that I do. 

🍂 Book 3: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo 

Read November 3rd-4th, 2017 🍂

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Yay! 

I'm not surprised that I really loved this book of short stories. Last year, I fell in love with Leigh's writing in her Six of Crows Duology, which I read over a course of two days. I have yet to read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but I will be picking it up when I have time to marathon a whole series (I know I won't be able to put them down). 

Leigh has created such a detailed world in her Grishaverse and I cannot wait to see what else she comes out with in the future. This book has six short stories that I will further talk about below. Overall, each of the stories helps create a different view into this world with wonderfully atmospheric writing, and illustrations that build into a full two-page illustration. I have never seen a book that each page built the end illustration more and more as you went. It was a great idea and those illustrations were beyond stunning, just like the stories they were for. 

"Ayama and the Thorn Wood": 📚📚📚📚📚
Sort of a twist on the myth of the Minator, with a half-wolf man. I loved how this story and all of the others felt like the some of the original fairy tales (Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson). I could see this one especially being thought of as classic fairy tale. It was similar in elements such as the tales that Ayama tells. This was a great start to the collection.

"The Too-Clever Fox": 📚📚📚📚📚
Following along with Koja, the fox, was an enjoyable experience. I liked seeing him outsmart other creatures and using his cleverness to his advantage. The message at the end of this story was also a nice touch. It (I'm going to repeat myself) felt like a fairy tale in this aspect. Also, I was not expecting the ending.

"The Witch of Duva": 📚📚📚📚📚
A take on "Hansel and Gretel". In the author's note, Leigh talks about this story among the others. It's funny because I completely agree with her take on the original tale. This tale flips that one and really makes you think about the real villain in the tale. I loved seeing her twist on this story.

"Little Knife": 📚📚📚📚
A short tale, of a beautiful young woman whose father, is trying to find the perfect husband for her. He makes many men do all sorts of tasks to try and win her hand. Her father definitely felt like a father out of a fairy tale. I really liked Yeva, the beautiful young woman in this.

"The Soldier Prince":📚📚📚📚📚
I really thought that this take on the Nutcracker story and somewhat of The Velveteen Rabbit was one of the best. These are both stories that I have known since I was very young and have enjoyed. It was based on those stories, but with more of a focus on the Nutcracker as a being. This is a retelling that I could not get enough of.

"When Water Sang Fire": 📚📚📚📚📚
This story was probably my favorite. I love mermaid stories and have been looking for a good book about mermaids for quite some time. The lore of this world that she creates is some of the most interesting that I have ever read. I loved the use of magic through music. It's perfect for mermaids. Then the ending...man that ending. I love the connection to The Little Mermaid that she made with this story (I adore The Little Mermaid with all my heart). I will not go into details about that but it thrilled me. What a great ending to the collection!

I have now realized even more how hard it is going to be for me to pick favorites this year. The list will probably have about twenty books. There have just been so many great ones and this is one of the best. If you love great fantasy books, Leigh's books, or just a great story, in general, you should read these stories. They are each quick and beautifully illustrated. The best part though is the writing that to me is what makes Leigh's books so incredible. Read this, I don't believe you will regret it.