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Lizreader

Lizreader's Blog

Also known as Liz on GR. I am here, but really just planting the seed. I am a student who likes all kinds of books, and I'll be honest about what I think about them.

Currently reading

The Mists of Avalon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family - Duong Van Mai Elliott At times it can be a bit overbearing and in the beginning it is interesting to learn about the Mandarin system it is a bit dry. However, it certainly builds up when the narrator and the author starts to talk about her own life and the experiences she and her family go through. It is quite a magnum opus of a work, and very disheartening at times. However, the end could be considered happy since family does stick together though thick and thin. I enjoyed reading this for my senior seminar, but the beginning does drag on for a bit.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith I have some extremely mixed feelings about this book, but before I explain as to why I will just say this.From the little information I had, I had thought that Hadley was going to be spending more time with Oliver in the airport and would fall in love...blah, blah, blah...and all that jazz. I thought it would be uplifting and interesting. They do, but not in the way I expected. First off all, I believe this book kind of led me to believe this was going to be a very different kind of story since the boy-meets-girl part of the story only took about about 35% of the story. The rest of the story revolved around Hadley and her coming in terms with going to her professor father's wedding--even though her mother separated from her mother. She doesn't like him in the beginning and even towards the middle...but eventually that gets worked out.What do I honestly think? I was let down to be honest. Sure, there are some good parts to this book. I liked the flashback sequences to Hadley and her father when they were on good terms and the whole elephant story (very cute) and their interactions towards the end is very heartening. However...Oliver...who is supposed to be the love interest and swoon worthy I believe being college aged and going to Yale...isn't all that exciting. In fact, even Hadley really isn't that exciting. In a lot of ways this book was really bland, and a lot of the better parts were towards the ends. For a short book it felt extremely long and I felt like I wasn't really invested with the characters at all. They didn't have that spark I always look for, and the story itself relied heavily on memories and flashbacks. It's why this book is extremely deceiving. I once read a review where someone called this the boring sibling of "Anna and the French Kiss" and I would have to agree that it is. It just doesn't have a lot going for it for most of the book, but by the end it picks up. Still, I am not entirely impressed and a bit dissapointed.
Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1) - Stephanie Perkins Okay so I joined the "Anna and the French Kiss" train...yeesh.I will say if there is one thing I dislike about this book it is the very beginning. I didn't like how opposed Anna was to going to school in France. Yes, she would be away from her family and friends...but honestly...most people I know would jump at a chance like Anna. #Firstworldproblems 0______0No seriously. It did annoy me. In fact, I had read the sample chapter and was disgusted, once I got past the beginning it did get much better. Besides the beginning this book reminded me of my good friend who was in a similar situation. My friend's father had an assignment in Switzerland and the company moved the family over. My friend and her sister had to go to an international school that also was a boarding school as well, they went as day students. Anyways, she told me she was sad to leave her friends--BUT she knew what kind of opportunity this was for her. She had a lovely time and ended up going to BU for college. If she hadn't gone top Switzerland she probably would have gone to a state school instead. Anyways, besides the beginning and how long it took for Etienne to get over his girlfriend it was a very good read. A lot of surprises I didn't see coming and some awesome moments. (The Girl Scout Cookie scene with Etienne and Tagalongs...I just died! I had bought my friend a box of Thin Mints and Tagalongs when I visited her Switzerland over my spring break in high school. She was so HAPPY! Although, I didn't have any Samoas, which I know she liked better). I liked Anna, despite my initial reaction to her in the beginning. However, I thought at times she could be so dense...Etienne--I liked him as well. Actually, I like that he was a mama's boy. :)What I really like about this book is how the characters are very three-dimensional and believable. I often have a hard time relating to certain characters, but I found I could relate to a few characters in this book. I also really loved the descriptions of Paris, and I liked Anna's voice. I like her humor, and her love for her little brother. It was refreshing. I quite enjoyed this book and if your looking for a fun romance book, then this would be a good pick.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers - Katherine Boo I need to read this book before she comes to speak at my school. 0_o
Forever Changes - Brendan Halpin Why do I keep reading books that make my heart hurt? That's a rhetorical question considering I don't have an answer to it, nor should there be an answer. Anyways, this book was absolutely breathtaking. It is by far one of the better father/daughter relationship stories I have read and it is also a smart and well written novel.First off all, the main protagonist is a female and likes math. How many times can you say that an author goes outside the box? That and she is friends with cheerleaders and Adam who is a fellow M.I.T hopeful like her. I like how well developed Brianna is, in a lot of ways she reminds me of Hazel Grace from "The Fault in Our Stars," but unlike Hazel does want to live...but still thinks about her impeding death with CF. She is an interesting and complex character.I also love Brianna's father, I mean he has a tattoo of his daughter's name and a heart around it. He also rides a motorcycle, and loves his daughter unconditionally. It's wonderful to read about because a lot of times in books the relationships with father's tend to be rocky and it's always the father's fault--never the mothers. In this case, it is the mother's fault. This book is incredibly quick, and the pacing is fantastic. However, the ending--why??? To end, people you need to read this book! Really you do! Like, right now!
Forever Changes - Brendan Halpin Why do I keep reading books that make my heart hurt? That's a rhetorical question considering I don't have an answer to it, nor should there be an answer. Anyways, this book was absolutely breathtaking. It is by far one of the better father/daughter relationship stories I have read and it is also a smart and well written novel.First off all, the main protagonist is a female and likes math. How many times can you say that an author goes outside the box? That and she is friends with cheerleaders and Adam who is a fellow M.I.T hopeful like her. I like how well developed Brianna is, in a lot of ways she reminds me of Hazel Grace from "The Fault in Our Stars," but unlike Hazel does want to live...but still thinks about her impeding death with CF. She is an interesting and complex character.I also love Brianna's father, I mean he has a tattoo of his daughter's name and a heart around it. He also rides a motorcycle, and loves his daughter unconditionally. It's wonderful to read about because a lot of times in books the relationships with father's tend to be rocky and it's always the father's fault--never the mothers. In this case, it is the mother's fault. This book is incredibly quick, and the pacing is fantastic. However, the ending--why??? To end, people you need to read this book! Really you do! Like, right now!
Sing Me to Sleep - Angela Morrison This book is complicated for me to review. It's complicated because the meat of the book doesn't happen till 75% through the book. From the description one is going to roll their eyes and think it's a makeover story, but it is a whole lot more than that. The "makeover" someone thought was all these surgeries or what not. They were outpatient treatments such as laser care to remove facial scarring and a Lasik surgery for eyesight. I mean it's the sort of makeovers used to be done on TLC. Anyways, this isn't a makeover novel, let's get that out of the way. This book made my heart hurt. I mean in the beginning it was a little tough to get through with all the bullying and what was going on. Then we got to the choir, which was fun to read about. Also, seeing as I was in choir in high school and an alto, and sang a soprano solo...it can happen if anyone had doubts. Anyways, I love reading about the choir competition and Derrek. This is a good romance story because it isn't just paper-cut stereotypical story about an American girl finding love in a foreign romance (Canadian, not Swiss by the way). Anyways, you think you know what is going to happen--but find out how wrong you're really are by the time the end comes. If you like "Just One Day" or "The Fault in Our Stars" one will like this book because it shares some interesting pieces from the two. The only reason this book does not get five stars is because of some mistakes in spelling.You heard me: spelling. The author referenced a famous song "Circle of Life" but in my version says "Circle of Light." I mean that's pretty bad as far as mistakes go, I can't let that one go. Normally, I'm not really picky unless the mistake is so blatant for me to see or when I read it does not make any sense. I also could have done without the book taking up 25% being about makeup, and could have cut it at least a tiny bit more. Other than that, it's really good book and Derrek...sigh.
Sing Me to Sleep - Angela Morrison This book is complicated for me to review. It's complicated because the meat of the book doesn't happen till 75% through the book. From the description one is going to roll their eyes and think it's a makeover story, but it is a whole lot more than that. The "makeover" someone thought was all these surgeries or what not. They were outpatient treatments such as laser care to remove facial scarring and a Lasik surgery for eyesight. I mean it's the sort of makeovers used to be done on TLC. Anyways, this isn't a makeover novel, let's get that out of the way. This book made my heart hurt. I mean in the beginning it was a little tough to get through with all the bullying and what was going on. Then we got to the choir, which was fun to read about. Also, seeing as I was in choir in high school and an alto, and sang a soprano solo...it can happen if anyone had doubts. Anyways, I love reading about the choir competition and Derrek. This is a good romance story because it isn't just paper-cut stereotypical story about an American girl finding love in a foreign romance (Canadian, not Swiss by the way). Anyways, you think you know what is going to happen--but find out how wrong you're really are by the time the end comes. If you like "Just One Day" or "The Fault in Our Stars" one will like this book because it shares some interesting pieces from the two. The only reason this book does not get five stars is because of some mistakes in spelling.You heard me: spelling. The author referenced a famous song "Circle of Life" but in my version says "Circle of Light." I mean that's pretty bad as far as mistakes go, I can't let that one go. Normally, I'm not really picky unless the mistake is so blatant for me to see or when I read it does not make any sense. I also could have done without the book taking up 25% being about makeup, and could have cut it at least a tiny bit more. Other than that, it's really good book and Derrek...sigh.
See What I See - Gloria Whelan Well, the hunt for father/daughter relationship stories continue...So, I found this book out of the blue and I thought it would be perfect. It's about an art student, and I love art and I get what she is talking about. A recluse father, who is also an artist? That adds another intriguing part to the puzzle, and then there is another part but I won't spoil it. Unlike "Burn" "See What I See" is a better novel with more sympathetic characters. Kate is a good protagonist who grows throughout the novel, not to the extent that I wish she did...but the author does a decent job. Her father, Dalton Quinn, is the more interesting character. He's mixed up and he's cruel to Kate, but you find out why in the end. It's not like he's abusive, just an obsessive artist who thinks more about his work than the family he had. It's interesting getting an insight into him. Although, I thought this book was really short and the pace was lightening quick. It went way too fast for me, and I wish there was more to read to be honest. The part of the story I didn't like were the supporting characters weren't really fleshed out that much, if the story was longer we would be able to know more about them. I felt like they were written as placeholders, when the real intensity was between Kate and her father. I loved how Mrs. Whelan wrote about how Kate saw the world and the way she saw it. It isn't easy to write from an artistic point of view, and I think she handled it pretty well. This is a solid book, but I am going to continue the hunt to find the one book about a father/daughter relationship that will make my heart wrench. It hasn't happened yet.
Brutal - Michael Harmon I had picked this book out on a hunt to find a good father/daughter relationship story that was either central or very important to the overall novel. There is a father/daughter relationship in this story, however I have a lot to say about this book.I had high hopes about this book because it sounded right up my alley with the plot and characters, however Poe Holly is actually rather an uninspiring character and hard to be empathetic too. Her mother is away in South America, leaving her with her father in a tourist wine town where he is a school counselor at the school she is going to attend. Poe is a pretty petty character, where she believes she is above the rest with having no problems of her own (where she has a lot of problems). If her character actually had developed a little more earlier in the story, not in the last three percent of the novel then I would probably have liked this book a lot better. Instead, I was annoyed at the main character for how she wanted things to change, but really didn't know how to. She might be right, but her manner isn't right like her father points out.I was also dissapointed with the father/daughter relationship because the father was a pretty uninspiring character even with everything he had gone through. I wanted this book to be pretty awesome, but it really fell flat for me. The search continues for finding a good father/daughter relationship book.
See What I See - Gloria Whelan Well, the hunt for father/daughter relationship stories continue...So, I found this book out of the blue and I thought it would be perfect. It's about an art student, and I love art and I get what she is talking about. A recluse father, who is also an artist? That adds another intriguing part to the puzzle, and then there is another part but I won't spoil it. Unlike "Burn" "See What I See" is a better novel with more sympathetic characters. Kate is a good protagonist who grows throughout the novel, not to the extent that I wish she did...but the author does a decent job. Her father, Dalton Quinn, is the more interesting character. He's mixed up and he's cruel to Kate, but you find out why in the end. It's not like he's abusive, just an obsessive artist who thinks more about his work than the family he had. It's interesting getting an insight into him. Although, I thought this book was really short and the pace was lightening quick. It went way too fast for me, and I wish there was more to read to be honest. The part of the story I didn't like were the supporting characters weren't really fleshed out that much, if the story was longer we would be able to know more about them. I felt like they were written as placeholders, when the real intensity was between Kate and her father. I loved how Mrs. Whelan wrote about how Kate saw the world and the way she saw it. It isn't easy to write from an artistic point of view, and I think she handled it pretty well. This is a solid book, but I am going to continue the hunt to find the one book about a father/daughter relationship that will make my heart wrench. It hasn't happened yet.
Brutal - Michael Harmon I had picked this book out on a hunt to find a good father/daughter relationship story that was either central or very important to the overall novel. There is a father/daughter relationship in this story, however I have a lot to say about this book.I had high hopes about this book because it sounded right up my alley with the plot and characters, however Poe Holly is actually rather an uninspiring character and hard to be empathetic too. Her mother is away in South America, leaving her with her father in a tourist wine town where he is a school counselor at the school she is going to attend. Poe is a pretty petty character, where she believes she is above the rest with having no problems of her own (where she has a lot of problems). If her character actually had developed a little more earlier in the story, not in the last three percent of the novel then I would probably have liked this book a lot better. Instead, I was annoyed at the main character for how she wanted things to change, but really didn't know how to. She might be right, but her manner isn't right like her father points out.I was also dissapointed with the father/daughter relationship because the father was a pretty uninspiring character even with everything he had gone through. I wanted this book to be pretty awesome, but it really fell flat for me. The search continues for finding a good father/daughter relationship book.
Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3) - Cassandra Clare THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!I just thought I should get that out of the way. First off all, this book is amazing! If I could give it more than five stars I would. This is Cassandra Clare at her VERY BEST! This is what happens when characters motivations are understandable, where every character is sympathetic, and where the writing is not overly repetitive with the same similes and metaphors (although the elongated shadows of a person's face and angles are used quite regularly, it is a small offense compared to the over description of eyelashes and cracked ice veins...*shivers*). Anyways, this book was pitch perfect from the prologue to the epilogue. This is how Cassandra Clare should write every book she writes. It is no secret I am not a large fan of the Mortal Instruments series because the characters to the writing is disappointing. However, how is it that the Infernal Devices has a well written love triangle (which does not happen often) and characters you want to cheer for? (Charlotte and Henry...AHH so much love! And Magnus of course is awesome). The writing is atmospheric and well researched, and the dialogue is spot on and humorous (rather than insipid). I will say that this series has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me, but the ending was fabulous and there were a few surprises that I didn't see coming. :)Thank you Mrs. Clare for writing a much better series, and I hope that The Dark Artifices series will only be better (please!).
Dreams and Shadows - C. Robert Cargill First off, I want to say the positives first before I go into everything that went wrong with this book. The Positives1. One of the main characters is named Ewan...after Ewan McGregor the actor. He is so named because one of his parent's favorite nights was when they saw Trainspotting. This made me extremely happy since I am a fan of Mr. McGregor.2. The writing is descriptive, which is nice. It does paint a fine picture in a person's head. The writing isn't what is bad with this book, but there are ways the author could have written this story better.That's pretty much it. The negativesOh boy, where to begin? First off all, when marketing a new book publishers should be extremely careful how they compare authors to other authors. This book was billed as something a fan of Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman, and Erin Morgenstern (among others) would like. Let's put it this way the author in no way had any of the subtlety or ability to weave a tale like the authors mentioned (well I haven't read Lev Grossman, but I have read Neil and Erin). He was way too forceful with the themes of the book. In writing the idea of "show versus tell" is normally repeated when describing events or characters, but a little known fact is when it comes to themes and ideas. Authors should be able to weave the themes throughout the novel without hitting a person on the head with it. In those situations, a book becomes extremely preachy. Sometimes, this isn't that badly done (Harper Lee in "To Kill a Mockingbird). It can be pleasant, if the characters are pleasant. In this case it wasn't. It was too preachy, too self-indulgent with philosophy (and I like philosophy by the way, but the author could have been a bit more subtle and artful in his presentation of it), and extremely dull given its fantastic nature. I had pretty high hopes of this book going back to the roots of urban fantasy. I was hoping of a harkening back to the days of Borderland series, Charles De Lint, Neil Gaiman's (Sandman or Neverwhere), and Emma Bull (War for the Oaks) who all were kind of the forefront of the genre (especially Ms. Bull). However, the novel by Mr. Cargill was nowhere near what it could have been.Besides being way to obvious with its themes and with what you are supposed to take away from reading this book (and being pretty pretentious about it too) the characters were not that great at all. Ewan might be named after an actor I like, but in no way does that mean I like him. He's taken away from his family by faeries, grows up as one of them as a tithe, and then grows up and becomes a third-rate musician in Austin because of certain events. He's extremely naive when he is growing up, even if he is a child. He likes the prettiest faerie, who happens to like him back (what a surprise 0__0) When he is an adult, he is still pretty naive and dull. Even with certain events happening in the book, one can't feel really that sorry for him. You're only sorry that he got taken away from his parents (who, and I won't say why, where probably the most interesting characters later on in the book--even if they are screwed up). Colby, the other main protagonist, starts off as a likeable enough character as a kid. Although, he is too naive about his mother and her habits. Although, once he meets Yashar things quickly go down hill. He wishes Yashar (who is a djinn--which can be thought off as a genie without the lamp) to show him the world beyond the veil (a.k.a everything magical). Yashar refuses at first, but then relents because Yashar knows for him to stay alive he needs Colby to believe in him. The problem with Colby is, unlike Ewan's innocence, is that he quickly becomes unbelievable once he meets Yashar. He meets Ewan (and they become best buds in a moment's notice--I mean come on how realistic is that?) and the girl he likes, Mallaih (pronounced Molly) and they play tag. Then Colby finds out the truth about Ewan and puts his life into danger to save him, becoming a sorcerer by wishing Yashar to make him so. So, you put your life on the line for someone you've known for less than a few hours? Oh please...Anyways, then there is the character of Ewan's doppelganger double who is a stillborn faeries and becomes a changeling that nobody likes. So he harbors a dislike for Ewan because Ewan is perfect and he is not. Normally, I like characters like this to have depth and he has absolutely no depth to him. He's a one tracked mind and does not change throughout the entire story. Neither do the other characters for that matter, even Colby who's whole worldview has changed.I can't say anything bad about the plotting, which actually stands to reason to be a better part of the novel. However, there are problems with the pacing (especially in the beginning to the middle, and even parts of the end). This is a problem because most of the time I read fantasies pretty quickly, and this one I felt like I had to make myself finish it. There were parts where I was pretty sure I wanted to get rid of the book and to not finish it. I am happy I finished it, but not because I liked it--just so I could say I did. The mythology, if one is not new to the genre, is nothing new by bringing in a lot of folklore both from English/Scottish/Welsh and Native American (with Coyote)...and it can't be supernatural without angels (which really did he even add anything to the story? Don't try to throw everything together if it isn't going to advance the story). I didn't really like how after everytime a type of faeries was mentioned there would be a whole chapter of dumping information on the reader about that particular faerie. If someone is knew to the genre they might like this, but if not it's a roll your eyes moment because it's a lot of info dumping. Just like the dumping of paragraph after paragraph of philosophical ramblings by certain characters. I also don't like how much in the beginning the author was trying to paint a "fairy-tale" sort of picture, which is really annoying since you know from the blurb this isn't going to end well. Don't try to rip off the Grimms unless you can do it with style, which is where Mr. Cargill fails.Now, this might only be me and my idiosyncratic tendencies, but I wouldn't recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy only because there are much, MUCH better books out there. Save your money for Mr. Gaiman's new book coming out in June or on Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" which has a better atmosphere. Or better yet, read "War for the Oaks" by Emma Bull for a great faerie urban fantasy. I also thought this book was excessively violent, and I don't mind violence but it needs a good reason. Anyways, not one of the best urban fantasy books I've ever read. Also, this was a complete let down for me.
Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion When authors say this, "This YA thing is going to be a rash on my eyeballs for this book's entire run..." then I am not going to read this book.When the author is getting bothered by how the book is getting marketed by some people or where they put it in the bookstore (or the fact that an author like Maggie Stievater raves about it) they get upset. Wouldn't an author be happy with the attention it is getting so he can write more books? So what if some people see the crossover appeal? Other authors have experienced the same thing such as Erin Morgenstern with The Night Circus (which is an adult novel), but had crossover appeal. She isn't getting upset about it. I also have to say this part was a part of a larger paragraph but this really annoyed me."The only function the YA label can really serve is to warn adult readers, "Stay away from this if you want substance." Which is really unfortunate, because no doubt a lot of substantial books get buried by this label." There are YA books out there with substance. YA has been around before it was called "YA" it was known as advanced readers/teen readers when I was growing up. The thing about marketing is that it's a fickle thing. Warm Bodies is an adult book, but has crossover appeal. Books are sometimes hard to place in a certain category, and at the end of the day the work should literally speak for itself--not the label. Does that mean children's books don't have substance to because I know that is not true at all. Not reading. Be careful what you say and what gets out in the open. **Quotes found on Read Now Sleep Later's blog YA Shame and Stigma. It comes up on Google search, but I don't know why I link it won't come up.***
Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy, #2) - Deborah Harkness All I can say is that for a sequel this is SO much better than the first book! In fact, I really like this book because of character development, new characters that are introduced, and the plotting is so well done! So many twists and turns I did not see coming. What a treat of a book!