I haven't been active in writing content or visiting other sites lately; most of my recent posts have been scheduled. This however is something I can write about now. I'm not on a reading slump, and have managed to finish more books for this quarter. Everything else on the other hand, is at a pause. As of writing, I have read 21 things all varying from different genres and age groups. Most of them I liked, but not enough to stand out for me to rave about. It's not that the books are bad, but I didn't get that feeling of sheer joy and the want to push whatever it is I read to you. I have five books to write about - that's good, right?
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (young adult, contemporary)
This is a love story between two people who happened to meet each other on the street and end up spending their day together. Nicola Yoon manages to spin a story that is endearing to read. I feel that the way this ended was a bit unrealistic and extremely hopeful, but it doesn't negate everything else that she has built in the narrative. She works with something familiar in terms of plot, but puts her own thing to it. I think she is a writer whose work is something I'm going to look forward to.
All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman (fiction, fantasy)
A relatively short read, this is about a husband trying to convince his superhero wife that he is there. It was a cute and funny book, with a few tidbits here and there about the world the story was set. I liked that it was short, and that Andrew Kaufman didn't try to lengthen the book by adding unnecessary pages.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (new adult, young adult, fantasy)
This series keeps on getting classified as young adult, but when a good chunk of it is made up of the main characters ravaging each other explicitly, it might be time to move it to another classification. I had my complaints about this book, and while Sarah J Maas is a great storyteller, I think her writing could use some work. This book was addictive and hard to put down, but she uses the same words repeatedly, and the characters keep doing things that are not substantial to the plot. This tried to establish more of the relationship between the two main characters, but I think it's been established enough in the previous book as it was all about their love triangle. Ultimately I enjoyed this book a lot more because the supporting characters had more of a role in it and because it gave a much bigger glimpse of the world Sarah J Maas was writing about.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (young adult, mystery)
One of the genres I like reading is murder mysteries so it's no surprise that I would read a book like this in one sitting. I had the same epilogue issue with this as The Sun Is Also a Star but it doesn't deterrent the enjoyment of the novel. Despite being stereotyped 'Breakfast Club' style, some of them are more than their brand. While their personalities stand out from each other, the writing sometimes makes their voices merge, making all of them sound like one person. This is bad since the chapters are subdivided to their points of view. I did end up flipping towards the beginning of the chapter to see whose view I am reading it from more than once. It does get a bit slow-paced towards the latter middle of the book, but it does pick up quickly towards the end.
Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson (memoir, non-fiction)
Mara Wilson is most known for playing Matilda back in her early days, and she writes about that as well as other aspects of her life. She is a great writer and storyteller, as her book flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next. The book was easy to breeze through because she is a compelling writer. She writes about her fears and insecurities, her life experiences post-Hollywood, as well as other things we might be looking for in her book. It's worth a read.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (young adult, mystery)
One of the genres I like reading is murder mysteries so it's no surprise that I would read a book like this in one sitting. I had the same epilogue issue with this as The Sun Is Also a Star but it doesn't deterrent the enjoyment of the novel. Despite being stereotyped 'Breakfast Club' style, some of them are more than their brand. While their personalities stand out from each other, the writing sometimes makes their voices merge, making all of them sound like one person. This is bad since the chapters are subdivided to their points of view. I did end up flipping towards the beginning of the chapter to see whose view I am reading it from more than once. It does get a bit slow-paced towards the latter middle of the book, but it does pick up quickly towards the end.
Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson (memoir, non-fiction)
Mara Wilson is most known for playing Matilda back in her early days, and she writes about that as well as other aspects of her life. She is a great writer and storyteller, as her book flowed seamlessly from one topic to the next. The book was easy to breeze through because she is a compelling writer. She writes about her fears and insecurities, her life experiences post-Hollywood, as well as other things we might be looking for in her book. It's worth a read.
Nice reviews! I love Mara Wilson. Her autobiography is on my TBR. It's interesting to read a lot of mixed things about the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I haven't decided whether to read it or not yet.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, A Court of Thorns and Roses series is probably the only series (besides the superhero series thing, like Leigh Bardugo's Wonder Woman) I am going to read of Sarah J Maas's. I'm not even sure if I'm going to pick up the spin-off series. There are a lot of issues with Maas's writing and stories, but I do think she's a good storyteller based on how it's impossible to put the book down.
DeleteI don't think that helped if you should pick up the series! I picked it up because I got curious, but I think I'm good with the three books.