Reviews Week 50

 Reviews Week 50

December 12th-18th

Book 178: Sabriel (The Old Kingdom Book 1)

By Garth Nix

Read December 11th-14th

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This is the third time I have tried to read this book, and I did not enjoy it. At least I was able to finish it this time around. One of my favorite tropes in fantasy stories is creatures being turned into cats. Such as demons, wizards, or witches. It excited me that one of these characters was in the book, and I wanted to read it immediately after hearing this. Mogget, the demon turned cat, was the best part of this book for me. I still didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted. 

The magic system and the world intrigued me initially, but Sabriel is a bland main character. I was interested in her school at the beginning and the others around her; I did not want to read much about her after a while. Then we get the character that Mogget nicknames Touchstone, who is even blander than Sabriel. His backstory was interesting, but there needed to be more substance to his character as a whole. 

Also, I was disappointed that we got so little of her father in this story, especially in the prologue. The story was supposed to focus on Sabriel, but I wanted more of him. There is a book that Garth Nix just published recently focusing on Sabriel’s parents that does sound good. I may eventually pick up other books in this series.

Overall, I wish I loved this book much more than I did. 

Book 179: The Serpent’s Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Book 1)

By Sayantani DasGupta

Read December 16th-17th

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I do not know much about Indian Mythology, but I thoroughly enjoyed what was in this book. It took me a bit to get into Kiran’s character, but as the story continued, I grew to love her and this world so much. This book had a significant amount of Indian Mythology mixed in with modern humor. Learning about the mythological creatures I had never heard of before was neat. This book is excellent for fans of Rick Riordan and other modern takes on Mythology. 

The new dimension that Kiran goes to with the princes is intriguing, with the moving map, the winged horses, the Rakkhoshi, and the various kingdoms throughout. My favorite character in the story was a talking bird named Tuntuni, who was the royal advisor to the king. He was adorable, and I loved his sarcastic attitude throughout. I hope that he will be in future books in the series. 

Also, the inclusion of scientific elements such as astronomy were wonderful additions to the story as a whole, and I like that they were easy to understand. I loved the world that she explored with the riddles and the rhyming. It was so much fun. 

I love the messages throughout this book, and I believe it would be great for any age. This book shows the importance of family (both birth and adoptive). It had a lot of humor throughout, but the most crucial aspect of the book was the relationships, which were the heart of the story. 

Sayantani also included a note at the end of the book where she discussed the cultural elements she used throughout and where she got her inspiration. I’m glad that books are being published that tell these tales and give a voice to authors from many different cultures. This book made me want to learn more about Indian Mythology and Bengali culture. I especially loved the folktales that we got throughout. I cannot wait for the rest of this series to see where Kiran, Keel, Tuntuni, and the rest of the gang go from here. This book is an entertaining read that I recommend. 

Book 180: Once Upon a Wardrobe

By Patti Callahan

Read December 18th

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I, similarly to George, was introduced to Narnia with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis when I was about nine or ten years old. My grandmother got me the whole Narnia series for Easter after that, and I instantly fell in love with most of the series. About twenty years later, I still adore the series as I did when I was a child. 

“The way stories change us can't be explained,' Padraig says. 'It can only be felt. Like love.”

This book is a beautiful story about the love between a sister and a brother and the lengths she will go to for him. Megs' little brother George falls in love with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and wants Megs to find out where Narnia came from for C. S. Lewis. Megs goes to meet C.S. Lewis (who goes by Jack) to find the answer to her brother's question. Throughout the novel, Jack tells Megs about his life, and she tells her brother the story. I adored this novel with all my heart and soul.

“Once upon a wardrobe, not very long ago and not far away,”

I loved that this story occurred right after the first Narnia book was published. Going into this book, I knew a lot about Jack's life, but I loved learning even more. I also enjoyed how this book showed how deeply George and Jack loved reading and how it helped them in their lives. Once Upon a Wardrobe was an absolutely beautiful novel that I highly recommend to Narnia and C.S. Lewis fans. I know that I will pick up the other books by Patti Callahan, especially Becoming Mrs. Lewis. 

Book 181: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-Up

Adapted by Robert Sabuda 

Read December 18th

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A great pop-up book adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I enjoyed how Robert Sabuda used smaller pages on the larger pages throughout the book to add even more of Baum's text within the pop-up book. There was much more of the story than I had expected because he did this. This book was one of the best I have seen within the medium, and I enjoyed how it told the story. 

Robert's pop-up art is incredible, especially Oz's hot-air balloon and the tornado at the beginning. This is not a perfect adaptation, but I enjoyed it so much. Many of the pop-ups in the book are intricate and might not be the best for younger children. You have to be careful when you close the book.

Overall, this is a beautiful adaptation of a book I adore with all my heart. It is stunning to look at and is an excellent introduction to the Oz series. I will definitely be trying to pick up Robert's other pop-up adaptations, such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Little Mermaid. 

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Books/Movies

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Freebee:

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Books/Movies

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Christmas Books/Stories/Poems/Plays: 

1. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

2. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss

5. Tic-Tac-Mistletoe by N. R. Walker

6. Christmas Wishlist by N. R. Walker 

7. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry

8. Letters From Father Christmas, Centenary Edition by J. R. R. Tolkien

9. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

10. Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook by Jason Rekulak

Christmas Movies

1. Home Alone

2. Jack Frost

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

4. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985 version)

5. Ebbie's Story

6. The Year Without a Santa Claus

7. Rudolph's Shiny New Year

8. Elf 

9. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town 

10. Home Alone 2

Favorite One Word Titles

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Favorite One Word Titles (instead of Favorite Words) 

This week I decided to pick my favorite titles that are only one word. 

1. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett- Link to my review

2. Insanity by Cameron Jace- I adore the Insanity series by Cameron Jace, especially the way Cameron took the Wonderland characters. It is an absolutely wonderful Alice's Adventures in Wonderland retelling, that is so twisted, creepy, and an absolute joy of a read.  

3. Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi- One of my favorite middle-grade books ever. This has such a wonderful world. Tahereh has such an amazing writing style that I could not get enough of. I hope she revisits this world eventually. 

4. Stardust by Neil Gaiman- Link to my review

5. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick- I absolutely adore Brian Selznick's books. This is one of my favorites of his books. I love how he uses such beautiful illustrations along with his words to tell a story. He is one of a kind. 

6. Mythos by Stephen Fry- Link to my review

7. Kingsbane by Claire Legrand- This is the only book on this list that I have yet to read. I love this title so much and this cover. I plan on reading it sometime soon. 

8. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- Link to my review

9. Malice by Heather Walter- Link to my review

10. Circe by Madeline Miller- Link to my review

Fantasy Places in Books that I would like to Vacation

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Fantasy Places in Books that I would like to Vacation (instead of Books I Read on Vacation) 

I decided to do the fantasy places in books that I would like to take a vacation in instead of books I read on vacation.  I don't really go on vacation too often. The original prompt was submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer.  

1. The Discworld from The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett- 

I love when I can recommend a book for one of these from the Discworld series. In this book, one of the characters, Twoflower, is a tourist traveling around the Discworld to see everything and has come to see Ankh-Morpork at the beginning of the book. This is the first book in the Discworld series and the first in the Wizards/Rincewind subseries. It introduces characters such as Rincewind, the Luggage, and Great A'Tuin, the giant turtle carrying the Discworld on its back. I highly recommend the Discworld series, though it is a daunting one. It has forty-one books in total, along with many companion books. There are many ways to get into it. If anyone is interested, I can give you some ideas for that. 

2. The Land of Stories from The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer- 

My favorite series is The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. It is the series I have read the most because I reread it every year in July. This year the first book celebrated its tenth anniversary back in July. The 10th Anniversary Edition comes out today, which I have shown a picture of along with the original cover. I can go on and on about my love of this series. The world of The Land of Stories is one made up of classic fairy tales. Ever since I was a child, I have been obsessed with these stories, and I love how Chris has taken them in his books. This series, along with the prequel series A Tale of Magic, are some of my all-time favorite books. I would love to be able to journey into them for a vacation. Though if I did that, I don’t believe I would ever leave. 

3. Ingary from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- 

Howl’s Moving Castle is my favorite book I love the world, characters, and atmosphere that Diana has created through this book. Her writing style is one of my absolute favorites and I cannot get enough of it. I read the book for the first time in 2020 and fell in love with it instantly. Then, I read it again this year and knew that it was definitely my favorite book. Howl and Sophie are such a great pair. I love their banter and relationship throughout the entire book. Also, their part in the rest of the series is great. Ingary is a place that I would love to see for myself, especially Howl’s place. 

4. The Shire from The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien- 

I would love to be able to vacation in The Shire and in other parts of Middle Earth, depending on the time period. The Shire would be the best, though, because of how peaceful and calm it all is. I could imagine staying in a Hobbit hole and just enjoying a peaceful filled day with Bilbo Baggins. Also, I would like to see Rivendell and the elves. 

5. Santorini, Greece from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares- 

This and the following answer are the only places on this list that are real places from fictional books that I would like to go to. I remember my dream of wanting to go to Santorini starting back in eighth grade when I first read, the first four books in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Then, I saw the movie and I was hooked. Santorini just looks so beautiful and I believe that it would be one of the best places to vacation. I can just imagine the adventures that I could take there. It would also be a wonderful place to write and draw inspiration from. 

6. Neushwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany from The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer- 
I wanted to also mention what is called the Fairy Tale castle in this list. This is another of the real places that I would love to be to go to sometime in the future, if I ever get over to Europe. Like I said about Santorini, I can just imagine the inspirations that I could draw from seeing such a sight in person. It would be incredible to see such a beauty in real life. 

7. Wonderland from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and the many retelling I have read over the years- 

One of the fantasy places that I have wanted to travel into most of my life was always Wonderland. I’m a lover of retellings and some of my favorites are always the ones dealing with Wonderland. There are so many great examples that I would love to see for myself. I love the zany characters and world. It would be the dream to have tea with the Hatter and March Hare, meeting the Cheshire Cat, and figure out all kinds of riddles. 

8. Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling- 

Hogwarts is another fantasy place that I would love to be able to go to. Especially, at Christmastime. It would be magical (sorry for the pun) but really it would be. Harry Potter will always be one of my favorite series no matter what. The Wizarding World is one that I love with all my heart. 

9. Oz from the Oz series by L. Frank Baum- 

Last year, I finished all of the Oz books that L. Frank Baum wrote in his Oz series. I did not love all of the books in these, one I even disliked quite a bit. One thing that I can say though is that I fell in love with the world of Oz and am so glad that I read all of his Oz books. It was a lot of fun reading those books and seeing the world like I have never before. There is so much more to it then the movie ever shows, or any of the other movies/shows do. Also, I found a new favorite villain with the Nome King in Ozma of Oz (my favorite book in the series). 

10. Grimmless from my own series The Chronicles of Grimmless- 

This one is kind of a cheat because these books have not been published yet but I’m working on publishing them. I could not create a list of fantasy worlds that I wanted to vacation in without including the one that I created myself. It has been my dream ever since I first read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke back in ninth grade, to travel into my own written world. I believe that most fantasy writers probably would enjoy being able to see their own works come alive around them. I would love be able to walk down the streets of my kingdoms and meet my characters. Go to eat at the troll family restaurant with the gang. Ride on the back of a Laughing Ancient. Just to be able to spend even a day in Grimmless would be a dream.

Bookstores I'd Love to Visit

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Bookstores I’d Love to Visit

One of my favorite topics ever for a list, which I had a lot of fun creating. I love going to the bookstore. These are the bookstores that I would love to go to. 

1. The Strand bookstore in New York City- It has been my dream to go to this bookstore ever since I first heard about it. 

2. Shakespeare and Company in Paris, France- I made a bucket list of places I would love to go to sometime in my life, and this is definitely on that list. 

3. Powell's in Portland, Oregon- This bookstore, along with The Strand, are two of the largest bookstores in the world. I would love to explore this one to see what I could find there. 

4. Atlantis Books in Oía, Santorini, Greece- My dream is to one day go to Santorini, Greece, and this would definitely be one of my stops. 

5. Livraria da Vila in Sao Paulo, Brazil- This bookstore, along with some of the others on this list, just looks really cool. 

6. Barter Books in Alnwick, UK- This bookstore was made out of an old train station, and I'd love to see it in person. 

7. Leakey's Bookshop in Inverness, Scotland- I love the style of this bookshop. I'd love to have a home library that looks like this. 

8. Alice Through the Looking Glass in London, England- This shop makes my Alice-loving heart happy. It is among the top places that I want to go to in my lifetime. 

9. Shakespeare & Co in Vienna, Austria- If I go to the original, I'll also have to go to this one too. 

10. The Madhatter Bookshop in Buford, England- Another bookstore for my Alice-loving heart. 

If it was still open I would have also loved to go to the Discworld Emporium in Wincanton, UK- Sadly, they closed their physical location in the UK because of Covid. They do have an online shop, though. 

Typographic Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Typographic Book Covers

Book covers with a design that is all or mostly all words. This prompt was submitted by Mareli @ Elza Reads

1. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares- I was a big fan of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series when I was in middle school and early high school. I remember when this book first came out vividly and having to get it right away. It was one of my favorite books then, though I was so sad that we never got a sequel for it. 

2. Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs edited by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser- I became obsessed with six-word memoirs and wanted to write the best one in my sophomore year of high school. This is one of the many books that I found on the subject a couple of years later. I love how they formatted the typography on the cover of this book. 

3. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare- I'm a big fan of the Folger Shakespeare Library versions of Shakespeare's plays, and I get them any time I find a new one for a decent price. They are definitely my favorite edition of Shakespeare's plays.  This is one of my favorites in the collection. 

4. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley- I read Words in Deep Blue a couple of years ago, and this beautiful cover matches the contents of the novel perfectly. The story is about a letter library and the importance of writing in our lives. It shows how important words can be in preserving people even after they are gone. I completely recommend reading it. It's one of my favorite young adult contemporary novels ever. 

5. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green- The Anthropocene Reviewed was one of my top ten favorite books of last year. Here is my review for his book:

Part memoir, part insights into the seemingly random, part review; John Green's first nonfiction book hit me a lot harder than I could have ever expected. I have been following John for a very long time, along with his brother Hank. Whether that be from his Youtube videos or his novels. He has been one of my favorite authors for years, and I was excited when he said that he was coming out with a book like this. I have always loved John's insight into the world around him. His antidotes in his videos have so much of himself in them, along with so much information.

“... I called my brother, Hank, and told him I was feeling frightened. Hank is the levelheaded one, the sane one, the calm one. He always has been. We have never let the fact of my being older get in the way of Hank being the wise older brother.”: I just adore this quote so much. Hank and John are some of my absolute favorite people to follow online.

Each of these essays felt so real to him as a person, and I loved learning more and more about him. Also, about so many cool things. John is such a smart person with a mind that I envy, especially how he can write. This is just one of the many examples.

My favorite essay was probably "Auld Lang Syne" if I had to pick one, but there were so many other great ones like "Harvey". Both of these essays had me in tears, with the grief he shared and the mental health struggles. I loved how he put so much of himself and his life in each of these essays. I cannot tell you how much I related to these essays especially.

I completely recommend picking this up, especially the audiobook that he narrates. It was such an amazing experience overall.

I rate The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars. I rate John Green's writing five stars. I rate the experience six stars because obviously, I want to break the system.

"We all know what it's like to feel alone. We will all call out someday to someone who cannot answer us."

6. The Magic Strings of Frankie Preston by Mitch Albom- Mitch Albom's books are all absolutely beautiful stories inside and out. I cannot help falling into them while reading. 

7. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste NG- I believe that this was the first book that I reviewed on my original blog that I do not use anymore, back in 2017. There are so many memories that I have from reading this novel. It is one that I would love to come back to and reread sometime soon. 

8. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green- My favorite of John Green's young adult contemporary books by far. I remember reading this book in one sitting the day that it came out because I could not put it down. John's typographic covers have always been some of my favorites, especially this one. 

9. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green- The Green brothers both have a good number of typographic covers between them both. I love that the main part of this cover is the title and then that the Carls are in the foreground. This and its sequel are two of my favorite science fiction books of all time. Hank does such a great job blending in pop culture commentary along with his story. I loved the puzzles in this book and Hank's clever ideas with them. 

10. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was one of the best books that I read last year. Addie's story is one that I will not forget anytime soon, and I adore this beautiful simplistic cover that they made for it.