Alexis Lampley's Blog, page 10
March 10, 2018
A Darker Shade of Magic
by: V.E. Schwab
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.
There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive. {cover copy}
I don't know what I was doing with my life, but I didn't mark a single quote. I could have sworn I did, but... nope. I really enjoyed this one. I have been meaning to get into this world after seeing so much positivity and lots of fan art about it {plus the covers are so cool}. I love me some alternate worlds, and I really enjoyed the main characters as they interacted within these alternate worlds. It was a really interesting fantasy. I don't know that I'm as obsessed with it as I see others being, but I'm interested in what happens next. Perhaps as the story continues, I will become more invested in it. I did definitely enjoy it, but it didn't immediately steal a spot on my "top shelf" of books in my heart.
Kell wore a very peculiar coat. {first line}
• do • {last word}
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.
Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cutpurse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive. {cover copy}
I don't know what I was doing with my life, but I didn't mark a single quote. I could have sworn I did, but... nope. I really enjoyed this one. I have been meaning to get into this world after seeing so much positivity and lots of fan art about it {plus the covers are so cool}. I love me some alternate worlds, and I really enjoyed the main characters as they interacted within these alternate worlds. It was a really interesting fantasy. I don't know that I'm as obsessed with it as I see others being, but I'm interested in what happens next. Perhaps as the story continues, I will become more invested in it. I did definitely enjoy it, but it didn't immediately steal a spot on my "top shelf" of books in my heart.
Kell wore a very peculiar coat. {first line}
• do • {last word}
March 7, 2018
Till We Have Faces
by: C.S. Lewis
In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses--one beautiful and one unattractive--C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who possessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development. Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods "till we have faces" and sincerity in our souls and selves. {Goodreads cover copy}
I have had this book in my TBR pile for a really long time. I bought it because it was C.S. Lewis and the cover was beautiful, but beyond that I never really planned to read it. At least not quickly. But then I was going to do a C.S. Lewis theme for Nerdy Post {I ended up changing it to Narnia} and wanted to draw quotes from as many of his books as I could, so I finally picked this one up. I wasn't familiar with the story he based it off of, so I had no reference for it when I read it, but I still really enjoyed it. I thought it was an interesting, if sad, read, and a really good story. I'm glad I have finally read it.
I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods. {first line}
"Everything is as good or as bad as our opinion makes it."
"We must learn, child, not to fear anything that nature brings."
"Do not let grief shut up your ears and harden your heart."
"Why should your heart not dance?"
"I was still a girl ( which in many matters is the same thing as a fool)"
"It burned me from within. It quickened; I was with book, as a woman is with child."
"Who that knows men would doubt it? They're harder, but we're tougher. They do not live longer than we. They do not weather sickness better. Men are brittle."
"There must, whether the gods see it or not, be something great in the mortal soul. For suffering, it seems, is infinite, and our capacity without limit."
• Greece • {last word}
In this timeless tale of two mortal princesses--one beautiful and one unattractive--C.S. Lewis reworks the classical myth of Cupid and Psyche into an enduring piece of contemporary fiction. This is the story of Orual, Psyche's embittered and ugly older sister, who possessively and harmfully loves Psyche. Much to Orual's frustration, Psyche is loved by Cupid, the god of love himself, setting the troubled Orual on a path of moral development. Set against the backdrop of Glome, a barbaric, pre-Christian world, the struggles between sacred and profane love are illuminated as Orual learns that we cannot understand the intent of the gods "till we have faces" and sincerity in our souls and selves. {Goodreads cover copy}I have had this book in my TBR pile for a really long time. I bought it because it was C.S. Lewis and the cover was beautiful, but beyond that I never really planned to read it. At least not quickly. But then I was going to do a C.S. Lewis theme for Nerdy Post {I ended up changing it to Narnia} and wanted to draw quotes from as many of his books as I could, so I finally picked this one up. I wasn't familiar with the story he based it off of, so I had no reference for it when I read it, but I still really enjoyed it. I thought it was an interesting, if sad, read, and a really good story. I'm glad I have finally read it.
I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods. {first line}
"Everything is as good or as bad as our opinion makes it."
"We must learn, child, not to fear anything that nature brings."
"Do not let grief shut up your ears and harden your heart."
"Why should your heart not dance?"
"I was still a girl ( which in many matters is the same thing as a fool)"
"It burned me from within. It quickened; I was with book, as a woman is with child."
"Who that knows men would doubt it? They're harder, but we're tougher. They do not live longer than we. They do not weather sickness better. Men are brittle."
"There must, whether the gods see it or not, be something great in the mortal soul. For suffering, it seems, is infinite, and our capacity without limit."
• Greece • {last word}
March 4, 2018
The Stacks: February 2018
February has been such a stressful and ridiculous month. I have so much work to do coming off the tail end of it into March that I hardly remember getting through all of these books. Well, maybe not all... But anyway. I got into a little bit of a slump at the end of the month due to The Eye of the World, and I'm still trying to bounce back. But the workload isn't allowing me to right now. Maybe next week. When the deadline passes. Oops. I just realized I finished Name of the Wind last month. So it's featured twice. I'm too busy to go back and re-take it, now. Oh, well.
Girl Boss Cara Alwill Leyba
I was gifted this one and while I think it's really helpful for some, most of it I was already past. So it wasn't as helpful as I was hoping it could be. Still a great read for anyone starting out, though.
The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss
Review to come
AWizard of Earthseas Ursula K. LeGuin
Review to come
The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch
Review to Come
The Eye of the World Robert Jordan
DNF ... halfway through and I'm still not invested. In fact, it actually halted me to reading anything at all. Instead of listening to audiobooks while working, I binge-watched three seasons of FaceOff instead. Not my usual M.O. so, that's not a good sign. Sorry, fans of these books. I'm tapping out.
March 3, 2018
11/22/63
by: Stephen King
Life can turn on a dime--or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father's sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away... but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake's friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession--to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner's storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten... and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful. {cover copy}
If you've followed my reviews for any length of time, you will know by now how much I love a good time travel story. Seriously. Time travel is the best. And this book is no exception. It is definitely and easily one of my favorite King books. I still love Eyes of the Dragon more, but this is way up there. I loved going through this story with the main character. I loved how the story unfolded and the challenges he faced and then how it ended was so good as well. I was definitely invested in this character. Great story. Absolutely recommend it. It's not scary at all, by the way, so don't be afraid to read it just because of who wrote it.
I have never been what you'd call a crying man. {first line}
"A good life is never wasted."
"When all else fails, give up and go to the library."
"That's the curse of the reading class. We can be seduced by a good story even at the least opportune moments."
"Life is too sweet to give up without a fight, don't you think?"
"A universe of horror and loss surrounding a single lighted stage where mortals dance in defiance of the dark."
• dance • {last word}
Life can turn on a dime--or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father's sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away... but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake's friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession--to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner's storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten... and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful. {cover copy}If you've followed my reviews for any length of time, you will know by now how much I love a good time travel story. Seriously. Time travel is the best. And this book is no exception. It is definitely and easily one of my favorite King books. I still love Eyes of the Dragon more, but this is way up there. I loved going through this story with the main character. I loved how the story unfolded and the challenges he faced and then how it ended was so good as well. I was definitely invested in this character. Great story. Absolutely recommend it. It's not scary at all, by the way, so don't be afraid to read it just because of who wrote it.
I have never been what you'd call a crying man. {first line}
"A good life is never wasted."
"When all else fails, give up and go to the library."
"That's the curse of the reading class. We can be seduced by a good story even at the least opportune moments."
"Life is too sweet to give up without a fight, don't you think?"
"A universe of horror and loss surrounding a single lighted stage where mortals dance in defiance of the dark."
• dance • {last word}
February 28, 2018
the long way to a small angry planet
by: Becky Chambers
When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.
But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptilian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful--exactly what Rosemary wants.
until the rest of the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years... if they survive the trip through war-torn space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.
But Rosemary isn't the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed. {cover copy}
This is like a mashup of Firefly, and Doctor Who, with a dah of C.S. Lewis's space trilogy thrown in for good measure. It was an absolute pleasure to read, being a serious fan of both shows and of C.S. Lewis. I read this a while back, so I won't have as much to say about it as I might have when I first finished it, but I really enjoyed this. Its pace was a tad slow, but in an episodic space cowboy drama kind of way. The characters get a chance to flesh out. i really liked that. The ensemble was fantastic, and I really just got so many great Whovian and Browncoat vibes about this story. Another bonus, I have the UK edition and it's beautiful. And the title is perfection. I really love the title. So intriguing but actually totally descriptive of the book.
I don't know what I was doing with my life when I read this, as I didn't mark a single passage. I guess I was simply enjoying it too much to even slow down and think about grabbing a pencil.
As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things. {first line}
"The memories reached out to [him], trying to pull him away from his safe observation point. They tugged, begging for him to give in. But he would not. He was not a prisoner of those memories. He was their warden."
• one • {last word}
When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that's seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptilian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful--exactly what Rosemary wants.
until the rest of the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years... if they survive the trip through war-torn space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.
But Rosemary isn't the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed. {cover copy}
This is like a mashup of Firefly, and Doctor Who, with a dah of C.S. Lewis's space trilogy thrown in for good measure. It was an absolute pleasure to read, being a serious fan of both shows and of C.S. Lewis. I read this a while back, so I won't have as much to say about it as I might have when I first finished it, but I really enjoyed this. Its pace was a tad slow, but in an episodic space cowboy drama kind of way. The characters get a chance to flesh out. i really liked that. The ensemble was fantastic, and I really just got so many great Whovian and Browncoat vibes about this story. Another bonus, I have the UK edition and it's beautiful. And the title is perfection. I really love the title. So intriguing but actually totally descriptive of the book.
I don't know what I was doing with my life when I read this, as I didn't mark a single passage. I guess I was simply enjoying it too much to even slow down and think about grabbing a pencil.
As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things. {first line}
"The memories reached out to [him], trying to pull him away from his safe observation point. They tugged, begging for him to give in. But he would not. He was not a prisoner of those memories. He was their warden."
• one • {last word}
February 24, 2018
Deathnote
by: Tsugumi Ohba
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light's noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against? {cover copy}
I still have two volumes left in this series of graphic novels, and for some reason i find myself putting it off. I flew through the first three, so this is clearly something I just really don't want to end. I am really anxious to see where it goes next and what will happen at the conclusion of all of this. I love the concept and the artwork. It's such an interesting look at what makes you good or evil and how blurry those lines can become. But with all graphic novels, I don't really mark quotes, so this is a short review.
Same old thing, day after day, what a bore. {first line}
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects--and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light's noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against? {cover copy}I still have two volumes left in this series of graphic novels, and for some reason i find myself putting it off. I flew through the first three, so this is clearly something I just really don't want to end. I am really anxious to see where it goes next and what will happen at the conclusion of all of this. I love the concept and the artwork. It's such an interesting look at what makes you good or evil and how blurry those lines can become. But with all graphic novels, I don't really mark quotes, so this is a short review.
Same old thing, day after day, what a bore. {first line}
February 21, 2018
The Tommyknockers
by: Stephen King
On a beautiful June day, while walking deep in the woods on her property in Haven, Maine, Bobbi Anderson quite literally stumbles over her own destiny and that of the entire town. For the dull gray metal protrusion she discovers in the ground is part of a mysterious and massive metal object, one that may have been buried there for millennia. Bobbi can't help but become obsessed and try to dig it out... the consequences of which will affect and transmute every citizen of Haven, young and old. It means unleashing extraordinary powers beyond those of mere mortals--and certain death for any and all outsiders. An alien hell has now invaded this small New England town... and aggressive and violent malignancy devoid of any mercy or sanity. {cover copy}
Talk about creepy. This is a sci-fi King story. But for all the alienness of this story, it still manages to make your skin crawl like so many of his stories do. The idea behind this book is that this alien presence gives off this vibe that makes those within its grasp of power, if you will, would do everything in their power to help that area of control to grow. This craft where the power lies is buried beneath the ground, and the more it is unearthed, the stronger the power grows. But the longer that power affects the human body, the more destructive and crazy the people become. They start to have no regard for their own well-being, let alone anyone else's. It's almost like a croatoa situation. That type of creepy is one of the types that does actually creep me out. So this was a great one for me.
For want of a nail the kingdom was lost--that's how the catechism goes when you boil it down. {first line}
• arms • {last word}
On a beautiful June day, while walking deep in the woods on her property in Haven, Maine, Bobbi Anderson quite literally stumbles over her own destiny and that of the entire town. For the dull gray metal protrusion she discovers in the ground is part of a mysterious and massive metal object, one that may have been buried there for millennia. Bobbi can't help but become obsessed and try to dig it out... the consequences of which will affect and transmute every citizen of Haven, young and old. It means unleashing extraordinary powers beyond those of mere mortals--and certain death for any and all outsiders. An alien hell has now invaded this small New England town... and aggressive and violent malignancy devoid of any mercy or sanity. {cover copy}Talk about creepy. This is a sci-fi King story. But for all the alienness of this story, it still manages to make your skin crawl like so many of his stories do. The idea behind this book is that this alien presence gives off this vibe that makes those within its grasp of power, if you will, would do everything in their power to help that area of control to grow. This craft where the power lies is buried beneath the ground, and the more it is unearthed, the stronger the power grows. But the longer that power affects the human body, the more destructive and crazy the people become. They start to have no regard for their own well-being, let alone anyone else's. It's almost like a croatoa situation. That type of creepy is one of the types that does actually creep me out. So this was a great one for me.
For want of a nail the kingdom was lost--that's how the catechism goes when you boil it down. {first line}
• arms • {last word}
February 19, 2018
Maddie Moo Kids Book Review: My First Beethoven/ My First Vivaldi
By: Jam Jam Books
So this company reached out to me and was interested in sending us a book for review. I rarely
say no to kids books for review because the reading time is a lot shorter haha so I am able to keep up with these.
However, when I first saw them, I was honestly not sure whether Madeline would be into them. It's definitely something different than she's used to as far as the kind of music she generally goes for.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that she was actually really into it. We finished the first book and she immediately requested we read the second. Then when we had an opportunity to read again the next day, she wanted to read these.
I could tell she wanted to maybe dance to the music but was a little unsure. Perhaps she was waiting for lyrics, since she's used to Disney songs, but since I was reading the pages as the music played, she just sorta swayed on the spot. She also got an itch to play her own music as soon as the book was done, and that led to a small one girl band practice! I'm happy she likes these books, as I want to let her experience all kinda of music and this isn't a kind she'd hear on a regular basis. And it clearly inspired some creativity from her, which is great!
Also, bonus, it reminded me how many of these songs I actually like as well. It's easy to forget, sometimes, I think, how enjoyable classical music is.
So this company reached out to me and was interested in sending us a book for review. I rarely say no to kids books for review because the reading time is a lot shorter haha so I am able to keep up with these.
However, when I first saw them, I was honestly not sure whether Madeline would be into them. It's definitely something different than she's used to as far as the kind of music she generally goes for.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find that she was actually really into it. We finished the first book and she immediately requested we read the second. Then when we had an opportunity to read again the next day, she wanted to read these.
I could tell she wanted to maybe dance to the music but was a little unsure. Perhaps she was waiting for lyrics, since she's used to Disney songs, but since I was reading the pages as the music played, she just sorta swayed on the spot. She also got an itch to play her own music as soon as the book was done, and that led to a small one girl band practice! I'm happy she likes these books, as I want to let her experience all kinda of music and this isn't a kind she'd hear on a regular basis. And it clearly inspired some creativity from her, which is great!Also, bonus, it reminded me how many of these songs I actually like as well. It's easy to forget, sometimes, I think, how enjoyable classical music is.
February 17, 2018
The Language of Thorns
by: Leigh Bardugo
Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.
Inspired by myth, folklore, and fairy tale, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciouslt atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.
Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange--to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. {cover copy}
This is one of the only books I have actually gotten my hands on a sample and read the sample before the book came out. I know. Crazy, right? First of all, this cover is so dang beautiful, and the artwork is absolutely stunning. Stories aside, this book is a work of art. But then the stories themselves are so so sooooo good. Like, okay, honesty time. I really enjoyed the original Grishaverse series. I wasn't obsessed, but I enjoyed it a ton. Then the Six of Crows duology came out and those I am obsessed with. So my love for the Grishverse grew much larger as a whole. And then this book of short stories? No. Stop it. I am in love. I fricken love this world and the depths in which Bardugo has built into it. Seriously, she could write new books from all over the world in this universe and I'm 100% buying them. Also, let's not forget, the covers would be GLORIOUS. She hasn't had a bad cover yet. I hope she knows how lucky she is with that. I'm sure she does.
Okay, so my favorite thing about these stories is that the artwork actually unfolds the story along with each story. It's so brilliant. It starts off with a basic frame and piece of the artwork, and then it slowly unwinds and reveals new bits and pieces that go with the story, and then when the story is finished, you turnt he page to discover the center of the artwork, where the words have been all this time, completed, and you see where the story was taking you. I now have ridiculously high expectations for all books of short stories. {I'm kidding. Kinda}. It just really enhances the stories.
While I loved all the stories, my favorites were When Water Sang Fire and The Too-Clever Fox. Not sure what this says about me. I'm sure it says something about my personality and taste in stories.
Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.Inspired by myth, folklore, and fairy tale, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciouslt atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.
Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange--to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. {cover copy}
This is one of the only books I have actually gotten my hands on a sample and read the sample before the book came out. I know. Crazy, right? First of all, this cover is so dang beautiful, and the artwork is absolutely stunning. Stories aside, this book is a work of art. But then the stories themselves are so so sooooo good. Like, okay, honesty time. I really enjoyed the original Grishaverse series. I wasn't obsessed, but I enjoyed it a ton. Then the Six of Crows duology came out and those I am obsessed with. So my love for the Grishverse grew much larger as a whole. And then this book of short stories? No. Stop it. I am in love. I fricken love this world and the depths in which Bardugo has built into it. Seriously, she could write new books from all over the world in this universe and I'm 100% buying them. Also, let's not forget, the covers would be GLORIOUS. She hasn't had a bad cover yet. I hope she knows how lucky she is with that. I'm sure she does.
Okay, so my favorite thing about these stories is that the artwork actually unfolds the story along with each story. It's so brilliant. It starts off with a basic frame and piece of the artwork, and then it slowly unwinds and reveals new bits and pieces that go with the story, and then when the story is finished, you turnt he page to discover the center of the artwork, where the words have been all this time, completed, and you see where the story was taking you. I now have ridiculously high expectations for all books of short stories. {I'm kidding. Kinda}. It just really enhances the stories.
While I loved all the stories, my favorites were When Water Sang Fire and The Too-Clever Fox. Not sure what this says about me. I'm sure it says something about my personality and taste in stories.
February 14, 2018
Red Rising
by: Pierce Brown
His wife taken. His people enslaved. Driven by a longing for justice and the memory of lost love, Darrow will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies...even if he must become one of them to do so. {cover copy}
Okay. So. I have been hearing things about how good this series is for a looong time now. I bought the books in anticipation of reading them literally months ago. Potentially a year ago. I don't even remember because it has been so long. And then I was doing a piece for an upcoming box {not my own} and it needed to be Red Rising themed. So it was the perfect opportunity for me to finally read them.
I.
Am.
Obsessed.
I am so in love with this trilogy that I have tried to convince my husband that our future second child should be named after one of the characters. We don't know the sex of the baby yet, so I haven't pushed it much when he vetoed this idea. But he can expect a much more annoying and insistent campaign for the name if we are having a boy. I'll let you know if I succeed.
On the topic of being pregnant while reading this series, I would like to address Pierce Brown directly in this next part:
Mr. Brown. You need some kind of warning label on your book for pregnant women. Something like: MAY CAUSE EXTREME UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTIONS.
When I finished the final book in the series, at 2am, in the dark under the covers in my bed, I proceeded to cry uncontrollably into my daughter's hair for 20 minutes after I shut the book. I am not kidding. I was thoroughly overwhelmed with the emotions {from the breakneck pace I had no choice but to keep while reading these books, because I never felt the characters were safe enough for me to set the damn book down} of the whole trilogy as well as the final third of that final book. SO. MANY. EMOTIONS. I truly could not calm myself down. I'd catch my breath and then think about the book again and it would start all over. Warn a woman, would ya?! Hormones, man. They are no joke.
These books rocketed to my "top shelf" favorite books of all time as soon as I set that final book down. I cannot recommend these highly enough.
There is a lot of war in this and I feel it is portrayed really well as far as like the cruelty of fate in who dies and when... that it can be so random and sometimes meaningless. {I will not start crying as I type this. I will not start crying...} But it is one of the things I really love about this book. One of so many. Ugh. Is it too soon to do a re-read if I only just read them in January? I must find a way to get hubs to listen to the audiobook. Perhaps then he will understand my love for the character I would name a son after and stop telling me it's not a real name ...hahaha wish me luck!
I would have lived in peace. {first line}
"Some things do not fade. Some things can never be made right."
"Live for more."
"That is the problem with youth. You forget that every generation has thought the same."
"Funny how a single word can change everything in your life."
"...of all things in all the worlds, words are power."
• rise • {last word}
His wife taken. His people enslaved. Driven by a longing for justice and the memory of lost love, Darrow will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies...even if he must become one of them to do so. {cover copy}Okay. So. I have been hearing things about how good this series is for a looong time now. I bought the books in anticipation of reading them literally months ago. Potentially a year ago. I don't even remember because it has been so long. And then I was doing a piece for an upcoming box {not my own} and it needed to be Red Rising themed. So it was the perfect opportunity for me to finally read them.
I.
Am.
Obsessed.
I am so in love with this trilogy that I have tried to convince my husband that our future second child should be named after one of the characters. We don't know the sex of the baby yet, so I haven't pushed it much when he vetoed this idea. But he can expect a much more annoying and insistent campaign for the name if we are having a boy. I'll let you know if I succeed.
On the topic of being pregnant while reading this series, I would like to address Pierce Brown directly in this next part:
Mr. Brown. You need some kind of warning label on your book for pregnant women. Something like: MAY CAUSE EXTREME UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTIONS.
When I finished the final book in the series, at 2am, in the dark under the covers in my bed, I proceeded to cry uncontrollably into my daughter's hair for 20 minutes after I shut the book. I am not kidding. I was thoroughly overwhelmed with the emotions {from the breakneck pace I had no choice but to keep while reading these books, because I never felt the characters were safe enough for me to set the damn book down} of the whole trilogy as well as the final third of that final book. SO. MANY. EMOTIONS. I truly could not calm myself down. I'd catch my breath and then think about the book again and it would start all over. Warn a woman, would ya?! Hormones, man. They are no joke.
These books rocketed to my "top shelf" favorite books of all time as soon as I set that final book down. I cannot recommend these highly enough.
There is a lot of war in this and I feel it is portrayed really well as far as like the cruelty of fate in who dies and when... that it can be so random and sometimes meaningless. {I will not start crying as I type this. I will not start crying...} But it is one of the things I really love about this book. One of so many. Ugh. Is it too soon to do a re-read if I only just read them in January? I must find a way to get hubs to listen to the audiobook. Perhaps then he will understand my love for the character I would name a son after and stop telling me it's not a real name ...hahaha wish me luck!
I would have lived in peace. {first line}
"Some things do not fade. Some things can never be made right."
"Live for more."
"That is the problem with youth. You forget that every generation has thought the same."
"Funny how a single word can change everything in your life."
"...of all things in all the worlds, words are power."
• rise • {last word}
