Month: July 2018

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Short Stories/Novellas

TTT-Big2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Favourite Short Stories/Novellas. For this list, I revisited the short stories and collections I read in university, so some of them are pretty heavy. Here’s my list:

1. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

99300.jpg

2. The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

11447613.jpg

3. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

391729.jpg

4. A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O’Connor

48464.jpg

5. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

49011.jpg

6. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

40016.jpg

7. Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Munro

1359051.jpg

8. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

485894.jpg

9. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

102868.jpg

10. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

4137.jpg

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

 

Review: Miles Morales

32793053

Title: Miles Morales
Author: Jason Reynolds
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Marvel
Source: Library
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Rating: ★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you’re on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins.”

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man. But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself. As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the importance of the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk. It’s time for Miles to suit up.

Review:

I love Jason Reynolds, and I think my expectations for this novel were too high. It wasn’t as good as I expected.

Jason Reynolds usually writes books about some kind of social and racial injustice. This theme wasn’t as prevalent in this book. There were some things that happened, such as Miles being treated unfairly by their racist teacher, but I hoped it would have been a larger theme in the book. It would have been a great way to tie Miles to the real world.

I didn’t like Spider-Man’s mission and enemies in this story. I won’t spoil the ending and tell you what happened, but the story could have been much more exciting. Some things were just silly and unnecessary, such as the presence of the cats. I didn’t understand the meaning of them.

I was also a little lost in the beginning, because I’ve never read a Miles Morales story before. I hoped there would be some introduction to him in the story. We do find out how he became Spider-Man, but I still had questions about his life. For example, why does he go to an expensive private school when his parents can’t afford it? They are struggling to pay their bills, and I don’t see any special reason that he attends that school. I wish things were explained better.

I was disappointed in this story, but fans of Miles Morales comics may like it better.

What to read next:

  • Runaways by Christopher Golden

  • 34849190.jpg

  • Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

  • 29749090-4.jpg

Have you read Miles Morales? What did you think?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – July 16

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

32793053.jpg

This weekend I finished Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds.

What I’m currently reading:

22840421.jpg

I’m currently reading My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

What I’m reading next:

35410511.jpg

Next I will be reading Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – July 15

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

I posted about my first trip to BookCon:

And finally, I did the FIFA World Cup Book Tag:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Miles Morales

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I reading Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds.

32793053.jpg

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Everyone gets mad at hustlers, especially if you’re on the victim side of the hustle. And Miles knew hustling was in his veins.”

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. Dinner every Sunday with his parents, chilling out playing old-school video games with his best friend, Ganke, crushing on brainy, beautiful poet Alicia. He’s even got a scholarship spot at the prestigious Brooklyn Visions Academy. Oh yeah, and he’s Spider Man.

But lately, Miles’s spidey-sense has been on the fritz. When a misunderstanding leads to his suspension from school, Miles begins to question his abilities. After all, his dad and uncle were Brooklyn jack-boys with criminal records. Maybe kids like Miles aren’t meant to be superheroes. Maybe Miles should take his dad’s advice and focus on saving himself.

As Miles tries to get his school life back on track, he can’t shake the vivid nightmares that continue to haunt him. Nor can he avoid the relentless buzz of his spidey-sense every day in history class, amidst his teacher’s lectures on the historical “benefits” of slavery and the modern-day prison system. But after his scholarship is threatened, Miles uncovers a chilling plot, one that puts his friends, his neighborhood, and himself at risk.

It’s time for Miles to suit up.

What book are you in bed with today?

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

11408650-2.jpg

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Purchased
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Review:

I flew through this book! I’m so obsessed with the story! For some reason, it kept reminding me of The Mediator series, which is another one of my favourites.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story from the description, but it sounded spooky. It had thriller aspects as well as creepy horror scenes. One of the creepiest things was the many unexplained occurrences such as Mara’s hallucinations. They scared me, and I thought it seemed like more than just a psychological problem. It isn’t normal for people to die just because you imagine their death.

I was also intrigued by Noah. I know that he has his own spin off series now, so I figured he would be important when he was introduced. He turned out to be different from how he was portrayed at the beginning, so I’m curious to see what happens to him too.

I loved this book! I can’t wait to read the next one!

What to read next:

  • Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

    187811.jpg

  • If I Stay by Gayle Forman

    6990472.jpg

Have you read this book or this series? What did you think?

Stacking the Shelves – July 14

STSsmall

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I received two paperback books from Penguin Random House Canada! Thank you so much!

  • A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

    36461789.jpg

  • Believe Me by J.P. Delaney

    36399240.jpg

I also borrowed 3 middle grade graphic novels from the girl who I was babysitting this week. Even though she’s 11, we are always recommending books to each other:

  • Positively Izzy by Terri Libenson

    35887167.jpg

  • Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson
    31371502

  • Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

    30623067.jpg

What books did you get this week? Have you read any of these ones?

Review: Archie: The Married Life Book 1

11062291.jpg

Title: Archie: The Married Life Book 1
Author: Michael E. Uslan, Paul Kupperberg, Norm Breyfogle
Genre: Comics, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Archie Comics
Source: Library
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Find out what happens after the “I do”s!

Delve deeper into all of the emotion and drama surrounding two different choices: Archie’s decision to marry sultry debutante Veronica Lodge versus his decision to marry sexy girl next door Betty Cooper. How do his choices affect not only Riverdale, but the world and everyone around him? Is it a match made in heaven? Will he find that he can’t put a price on love?

Collects the first six chapters of both Archie Marries Veronica and Archie Marries Betty, the most critically acclaimed storyline Archie has ever published, as originally seen in the newsstand magazine Life with Archie.

Review:

I loved Archie comics as a kid, and I still love them today.

This book about an adult Archie reminded me of the show, Riverdale, which I’m obsessed with. It had some of the same subplots, such as Mr. Lodge buying lots of property in Riverdale and an important mayoral race. There were mature themes explored in this story, such as marriage, death, and losing jobs. The comics I read as a kid were more optimistic and innocent. The worst thing that happened was that Cheryl Blossom would come to town and steal Archie from Betty and Veronica. This book shows more of what happens in real life, which was kind of depressing most of the time.

One thing that bothered me about this book was the way that it switched between Archie and Veronica’s married life and Archie and Betty’s married life. Both lives were similar but slightly different. For example in both stories, Jughead was trying to buy Pop’s diner but was struggling to find the money. However, only in one of them does Moose run for mayor. I kept getting confused between chapters because it would alternate between them both. One thing I liked was that there were some characters and events that appeared in both of Archie’s stories, so those things were meant to be. It would have been easier to read if the book was divided into two different sections, one about Betty and one about Veronica, rather than having alternating chapters.

Despite the confusion, I enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

 

First Lines Friday – July 13

first-lines-fridays.png

This is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Words, where you give the first few lines of a book to hook your readers before introducing the book.

Here are my first lines:

“There is a very particular art to the making of grilled cheese. To making the perfect grilled cheese, at least. It’s so much more than just slapping a slice of Velveeta between some white bread and letting the thing languish in a skillet. A grilled cheese, when done right, with melty strings of provolone and buttered French bread crisped to golden brown, is a culinary wonder.”

Do you recognize these first lines?

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

And the book is… The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Shrum.

35804626

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898-2.png

Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Carter Lane has wanted to be a chef since she was old enough to ignore her mom’s warnings to stay away from the hot stove. And now she has the chance of a lifetime: a prestigious scholarship competition in Savannah, where students compete all summer in Chopped style challenges for a full-ride to one of the best culinary schools in the country. The only impossible challenge ingredient in her basket: Reid Yamada.

After Reid, her cute but unbearably cocky opponent, goes out of his way to screw her over on day one, Carter vows revenge, and soon they’re involved in a full-fledged culinary war. Just as the tension between them reaches its boiling point, Carter and Reid are forced to work together if they want to win, and Carter begins to wonder if Reid’s constant presence in her brain is about more than rivalry. And if maybe her desire to smack his mouth doesn’t necessarily cancel out her desire to kiss it.

I loved this book. You can find my review here. Have you read it?

Review: Her Pretty Face

36373379

Title: Her Pretty Face
Author: Robyn Harding
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

The author of the bestselling novel The Party—lauded as “tense and riveting” by New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda—returns with a chilling new domestic drama about two women whose deep friendship is threatened by dark, long-buried secrets.

Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.

A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she thought that the day he got accepted into the elite Forrester Academy would be the day she started living her life. Overweight, insecure, and lonely, she is desperate to fit into Forrester’s world. But after a disturbing incident at the school leads the other children and their families to ostracize the Metcalfes, she feels more alone than ever before.

Until she meets Kate Randolph.

Kate is everything Frances is not: beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident. And for some reason, she’s not interested in being friends with any of the other Forrester moms—only Frances. As the two bond over their disdain of the Forrester snobs and the fierce love they have for their sons, a startling secret threatens to tear them apart…because one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunick. And she’s a murderer.

In her masterful follow-up to The Party, Robyn Harding spins a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal, asking the question: Can people ever change? And even if they can, is it possible to forgive the past?

Review:

I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down!

At the beginning everything was a little confusing. There are three different narratives. One by Frances, the mother of an autistic boy. Another is by Daisy, the daughter of Kate and sister of Charles. Charles is friends with Frances’s son. The third one is by DJ, who tells the story of the trial for his sister’s murderer decades ago.

The connection between the three stories becomes clear about halfway through the story. I began to piece together who everyone was and how they were related to the larger story. This kind of thriller, that slowly unravels throughout the book, can be hard to write well, but this one was very good.

Even though I had figured out what was happening, I was excited to read until the end. This story didn’t have a dull moment! I really loved it.

Have you read this book? What did you think?