BOOK REVIEW: WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE

Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

Goodreads Summary: Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods—until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hostility of the villagers. Their days pass in happy isolation until cousin Charles appears. Only Merricat can see the danger, and she must act swiftly to keep Constance from his grasp.

Rating: 2.75-3/5 stars

Review:

2017 WRAP-UP | BOOKS #11-16

Hey guys! Guess who's fallen so far behind on her wrap ups for this year? Yep, me. I considered just ignoring a good chunk of books, but that'd be giving up. Instead, I'm gonna try and spend the next few weeks writing them all up. Apparently I've only wrapped up 10 books for this year, but I've actually read 42 so this'll be fun. Without further ado!

#11: King's Rising by C.S. Pacat

What a conclusion to this series! I stand by the statement that each book in this series surpasses the previous one, so this one was the best. It was tense and satisfying and worth sticking it out for. It's a slow burn finale but Pacat already made me care so deeply for the characters that I didn't even mind. 4/5 stars

#12: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This was actually a re-read but I love this book so much, I'd read it again many more times. I actually did a non-spoiler review here you can check out for my longer thoughts but in short, this book is one of my favs of all time. 5/5 stars.

#13: The Shining by Stephen King

I finally read a Stephen King novel! He's one of those authors that just everyone should read at least one of his books, because he has so damn many! I actually started reading this last year and only finished in the early months of 2017 after putting it down for awhile. It was a bit too long-winded (something King is known for) and could've shaved 100 or so pages but all in all, was quite enjoyable. I wish it had been a bit scarier though. 3/5 stars

#14: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera 

This book is heavy. I mean, if you know the premise, you go in expecting heavy. It really successfully explores human relationships and dealing with grief without trying to romanticise it or ignore how messy and complicated the situation is. I found the MC hard to connect with, though, so it didn't quite 'wow' me in the way I thought it might, but a book I appreciate nonetheless. 3.5/5 stars

#15-16: American Gods & Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman

I thought I'd just include both of these since the second is just a short story that follows American Gods. But anyway. I really love Neil Gaiman and this novel really sees him going all in and throwing as much mythology as he can into one story. It's impressive and whimsical and so perfectly Gaiman. It's not a story to be rushed because of the way he writes, but it's a treasure nonetheless. The Monarch of the Glen just feels like a very extended epilogue to the story and while it was nice to read, it didn't feel entirely necessary. American Gods: 4/5 stars. MotG: 3/5 stars

Alright, first catch-up wrap up done. Still a few more to go, haha. Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them!

Until next time!

- J, xxx

MID-YEAR BOOK FREAKOUT TAG

Hey guys! 

How is it possible we're already on the downhill of this year? I feel like I'm just coming to terms with it being 2017 and soon it'll be 2018. Ugh. So, in that train of panicked thought, I figured I'd do this very relevant tag, which you've probably already seen half the book community do by now anyway. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Title: Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race

Author: Margot Lee Shetterly

Goodreads Summary: Set amid the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program. 

Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as ‘human computers’, calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these ‘colored computers’ used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. 

 Moving from World War II through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the women’s rights movement, Hidden Figures interweaves a rich history of mankind’s greatest adventure with the intimate stories of five courageous women whose work forever changed the world.

Rating: 3/5 stars 

Review:

Movie Review - Kong: Skull Island

Okay, so I know this is established as a book blog, but another great love of mine is movies. I want a tonne of them so I've decided I'm going to try and post some reviews of the ones I'm seeing. March is a madhouse for movies so it's seems like a good time to start!

So, Kong: Skull Island. Let me start by saying that I think most people will really like this film, and that there's something for everyone to at least enjoy. Personally, I went into it hoping to love it, but was ultimately disappointed. Did I think it was completely awful? No, definitely not, but I do think it could've been a lot better.

T5W: Books I Felt Betrayed By

Hi guys! Back again with another Top 5 Wednesday! If you don't know what Top 5 Wednesday is, here's a handy dandy link that gives you all the the info :) This week's topic was book's you felt betrayed. I originally didn't think I'd want to do this topic, but as I thought about it, I realised I had quite a few gripes I could get out there. Not all of these books are one I didn't enjoy, some just have things that I felt wronged by even if I enjoyed the rest. But let's get to business:

BOOK REVIEW: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (No Spoilers!)

Title: History is All You Left Me [Goodreads]

Author: Adam Silvera

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

Review:

BOOK REVIEW: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (No Spoilers!)

Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz

Rating: 5/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Dante can swim. Ari can't. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari's features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself. 

 But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

Review:

2017 WRAP-UP | BOOKS #6-10

Hi all! Back for my second reading wrap up of the year. While the last one had a lot of graphic novels, this one more favours non-fiction (which was part of my reading goals this year, which is awesome). So without further ado:

2017 WRAP-UP | BOOKS #1-5

Hey guys! I've decided that instead of the usual monthly reading wrap-ups, I'm going to do them every 5 books I read. This means that if I have a bad reading month, I'm not talking about just one book in the wrap up. Or similarly, if I have an insanely good reading month, my wrap up isn't hella long. 5 seems like a nice number so I'm just gonna keep it to that for now.

Book Review: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (No Spoilers!)

Title: Three Dark Crowns 

Author: Kendare Blake

Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Three sisters. One crown. A fight to the death. 

 In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. 

 But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose . . . it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. 

 The last queen standing gets the crown.

Review: