The Name of the Wind

On April 13, 2019April 15, 2019 By AllieS.In Book Review, DNFLeave a comment

2495567 The Name of the Wind is a epic fantasy book written by Patrick Rothfuss which Kvothe the hero of many tales is the owner of the Waystone Inn who works under an assumed name and who many think is dead is found by Chronicler and is convinced to tell his life story. Each book in the series is intended to be one day of Kvothe telling his story which will take three days and will tell the reader the truth of who Kvothe is and why he is know as the King Killer.

I stopped reading The Name of the Wind at 300 pages which is roughly half of the book and I have no intention of finishing this book. Normally, I would not write a review for a book that I didn’t finish because I can’t judge the whole story but considering I feel like most people like if not love this book I feel like I should post some form of a review.

The story started out strong with Kvothe at the Waystone Inn as there was a mystery about the world and the characters the inhabit this world. The world building is good at the beginning informing the reader about the world through conversations and description that don’t involve just info dumping. However, when Kvothe starts telling his story the pacing and anything interesting grinds to a halt. We are given tons of information about his family and childhood which is good for backstory and world building but gives us no character growth or plot. When Kvothe’s family is killed I thought that the story would pick up again but it never did. As for Kvothe as a character his is far too arrogant and experiences no lasting consequences for any of his actions. Not all characters should be likable but I should want to root for them and honestly I wouldn’t care if he lived or died.

Ultimately, I stopped reading the book when I started to hate all of the characters and that the plot felt like it didn’t actually exist. I feel like around 200 of the 300 pages I read could have been removed from the book and the story would not suffer. Though this might not be true if I finished it but I don’t like forcing myself to read things that I’m not enjoying. I do think if the books are ever turned into a TV show or movie that I would like it much more as I would have visuals to connect with.

March 2019 Wrap Up

On April 8, 2019April 7, 2019 By AllieS.In Book Review, Movie Review, Wrap UpLeave a comment

So March was a very busy month for me, so I didn’t read very much but I did watch some TV shows and movies.

Books:

34895950 The only book I read this month was The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. The Tea Dragon Society is a short graphic novel set in a fantasy world where tea leaves are harvested from dragons. The story follows two young girls, Greta and Minette, who are learning about tea dragons and how to take care of them. It’s a beautifully illustrated story inspired by anime and manga with very unique fantasy concepts. Many of the characters are a combination of different fantasy races and use different fantasy elements. I would like to see the story continue as this first book is so short at only 72 pages there isn’t much time to connect with and learn everything about the characters. 3.5/5 stars.

TV Shows:

clonewars I finally finished the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show which will be getting a continuation on Disney’s new streaming service that is supposed to come out sometime in 2019. The Clone Wars show is set in between the Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith movie and does fix some of the problem that the prequel movies have. The big thing is it gives much more information about the Clone Wars and fleshed out most of the bigger relationship from the movies. This show made me believe that Obi-Wan did consider Anakin his brother and the relationship between Anakin and Padme is much better and is given time to grow. Anakin is given a padawan in Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka is an amazing character but also allows the audience to see Anakin as a leader and in different stories and positions from the movies. However, there are some episodes that are just not that good and can be skipped without missing any plot or story elements. I would recommend not watch most to the episodes that feature Jar Jar or primarily focus on the droids. Also the show was not originally released in chronological order so there are two ways to watch it, episode release order or chronological. I would recommend watching the show in chronological order as it gives you a better sense of the state of the Jedi during the Clone Wars but before Revenge of the Sith.

Movies:

Captain_Marvel_poster So I saw Captain Marvel and I liked it, I do have a full review here so I won’t go completely in-depth. As the newest MCU movie and connected to Avengers: Endgame I would recommend going to see it but it’s also a good movie that can be understood without having seen any of the other Marvel movies. Connections to other MCU movies are mostly in little Easter eggs that you will understand if you’ve seen some of the other movies but they don’t detract from the story being told. I loved seeing a younger Nick Fury and how the Shield that we know from the other movies started. All of the acting is great and while the movie is funny none of the jokes become too much and make it feel like a comedy. However, many of the jokes will not connect if the 90’s references are not understood. Ultimately, it’s a movie about a woman realizing and coming into her own power.

Cloverfield_paradox_poster This month I also finally set down and watched The Cloverfield Paradox which I liked the most out of the Cloverfield movies so far. The movie starts out with some info dumping about how the earth is running out of power sources and so the world has sent a team to a space station to work with a massive particle accelerator to attempt to find a new power source. When the experiment works all hell breaks loose on the space station has they ended up breaking the fabric of reality. Though it is a science fiction movie I would classify it more as a body horror such as Alien or the Thing than just straight sci-fi. I’ve never loved any of the Cloverfield movies and this ones no exception though I do like it better than the others. In Cloverfield I felt like the characters were very annoying and I didn’t care what happen. It doesn’t help that I have never been a fan of found footage movies either. 10 Cloverfield Lane on the other hand was a movie that I like the concept of but found the movie as a whole very boring. So, I didn’t have high expectations for Cloverfield Paradox. Though I don’t think Paradox was needed as part of the Cloverfield series I did like the concept of the movie and I wasn’t bored. If any of the Cloverfield movie got direct squeals I would want it to be Paradox as I feel like it has the most that could be done with it given how the story and ending is set up. I do plan to post a full review so for all of my thoughts check that post.

February Wrap Up

On March 25, 2019March 24, 2019 By AllieS.In Wrap UpLeave a comment

In February I read five books and watched series 11 of Doctor Who.

Books:

Witch Child by Celia Rees is a historical fiction young adult novel that follows Mary Newbury who escapes a witch trials in England and travels with a group of puritans to the new world. However, it becomes clear when they arrive in Massachusetts that Mary must be careful as she is an outsider who could easily be tried as a witch and she might just be one. Witch Child is a reread for me as I read the book initially when I was a teenager. I didn’t love it as much as I remember because I’m much older now.Witch Child feel more like a middle grade but I still like the book.

Artemis by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel where Jasmine lives on Artemis, Earth’s first and only lunar colony. When her get rich quick plan falls apart she learns how the colony is truly run and what she has to due to try to save her friends and family while also not getting arrested. An interesting story on how a lunar colony would be run though not as funny as the Martian. I personally liked the premise of the story more than the story that is told and I feel like Artemis would not work in reality with how everything is run.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant is a novella about a research ship going to the Mariana Trench to find Mermaids. When the ship gets there all the scientist think that the company sponsoring the trip is just going to film a mockumentary but they end up finding real mermaids who are not kind or beautiful. This book is technically a prequel to Into the Drowning Deep but it works as a stand alone. I didn’t connect to the characters much due to how short the book is but what is there is great. It made me want more from this world and story.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant is a science fiction horror novel about a reteach ship going out to the Mariana Trench to find mermaids and what happened to the ship that went out seven years previously. This is a reread for me and I loved it just as much as the first time I read it. The best way I can describe it is the book is everything I didn’t know I wanted out of murderous mermaids.

The Invasion (Animorphs #1) by K A Applegate is the first in the Animorphs books where a group of teenagers are gifted the power to turn into animals to fight an invasion of aliens. I read most of the series when I was in elementary school and junior high but I never finished it so when I found the books again I want to see if I would like them enough to reread and finish the series. Though it feels much younger than I remember its probably just because I’m not the age these books are marketed to but I think its a good start to the series. The conflict is established early and the reality of the character involvement is much more harsh as these kids are going to fight a war. Though I didn’t love any of the characters they are realistic for the situation they are trust into and the books are much darker than I remember.

TV shows:

This month I finally sat down and watch the most recent season of Doctor Who with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor. For me I was not a huge fan of this season, its not bad but its not all that good either. Most of the episodes were decent but I didn’t connect with any of the new characters or story lines. Graham and Ryan were the best characters and while Yaz was fine, with so many new characters and actors fighting for good character moments none of them were given much overall. As for Jodie Whittaker, I think she is a good actor but she is not the Doctor. I felt no connection between her version of the Doctor and other actors who had played the character and I didn’t believe that she was the Doctor. I don’t blame any of the actors as they are just bring what they can to the writers work so I feel like the writing needs to get much better for Doctor Who to continue and be loved by so many. Ultimately, if the show had any other name I don’t think I would have finished the season. I will watch the first few episodes of the next season as they will have a year to hopeful fix problems from the past season but if those first episodes aren’t good then I won’t continue watching.

Witch Child by Celia Rees

On March 16, 2019March 15, 2019 By AllieS.In Book ReviewLeave a comment

803120 Witch Child by Celia Rees is a historical fiction young adult novel that follows Mary Newbury who escapes a witch trial in England and travels with a group of puritans to the new world. However, it becomes clear when they arrive in Massachusetts that Mary must be careful as she is an outsider who could easily be tried as a witch and she might just be one.

Witch Child is written as a diary so we see Mary’s story unfold through her own eyes. She believes herself to be a witch but that thought and any of her actions through out the story could easily get her in major trouble. Rees makes the story very realistic for the time period both in the use of puritan values and beliefs as well as information about the Native American’s that Mary interacts with. Mary unlike the rest of the community sees a kinship with the Native’s as they are both outsiders that the puritan community would attempt to get rid of. The tribe used in the story is the Pennacook nation which was a real Native American tribe in the Massachusetts area when white settlers arrived in the new world.

Witch Child is a reread for me as I read the book initially when I was a teenager. I didn’t love it as much as I remember because I’m older now. Sometimes I like to go back and read the books published when I first started reading Teen or Young Adult books as the Young Adult book market is much different now. I remember when bookstores called it the teen section and YA really wasn’t a big thing. Now days it feels like YA is written for an older audience than it used to be which makes Witch Child feel more like a middle grade but I still like the book.

Rating:

DNF (Did Not Finish) #1

On February 13, 2019February 11, 2019 By AllieS.In Book Review, DNFLeave a comment

I used to try to finish all the books that I started but as I’ve gotten older I’ve stopped doing that as much. I believe that life is too short and there are so many things that I could enjoy that I shouldn’t have to force myself to finish books or shows if I’m on longer enjoying it. But I still want to talk about why I stopped reading. Sometimes there’s not to say so I don’t want to write full reviews. So here is a list of the books that I’ve recently did not finish and my reasons why.

Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson is a dystopian novel told through letters, recordings, notes, newspaper clippings etc. and while a very cool concept not very I trusting to read. After about 60 pages I had not connect with any of the characters or story so I stopped reading.

Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem is famous for the fact that the author scammed her way on to the New York Times bestsellers list. When I bought the book, I knew about the story but couldn’t remember the title or author so I bought it anyway. I couldn’t even get though the first chapter. The story was boring and didn’t grab me, the first person perspective does the story no favors and makes the protagonist annoying and the descriptions make no sense. I have no idea how this book even got published.

The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory, the fourteenth Plantagenet and Tudor Novel, follows Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for nine days, and her two sisters. When I bought this book I thought I would love it as I have loved some of Philippa Gregory’s other books. However, I’m learning that her book are very hit or miss for me. The book is told from Jane, Katherine, and Mary’s perspectives but I barely got through the first 50 pages of Jane’s perspective. I found Jane as a narrator to be far too pious, boring, annoying, and I felt like she hates all the other women in her life. To start the book like this made me not care about the story or any of the characters which almost always stops me from finishing a book. I feel like if you love all of Philippa Greogory’s work or Lady Jane Grey story is what you are interested in than you might like this book but it wasn’t for me.

Rogues edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois is a short story collection focusing on the concept of the rogue and how the authors featured in the book wanted to play with that concept. It is becoming clear to me that I don’t like short story collections unless all of the stories are either from the same author or from the same series (ex: Doctor Who). Even the stories from authors I like and have read other things from, I just couldn’t get though everything bored me and I’m not really sure why. I like the idea of these types of collections as a way to see if I might like the authors other works but it never seems to work out the way I want it to. I think many people will enjoy these stories and the book overall but the format did nothing for me and because of that I couldn’t get through any of it.

Parasite (Parasitology #1) by Mira Grant

On February 9, 2019February 8, 2019 By AllieS.In Book ReviewLeave a comment

13641105 Parasite is the first book in the Parasitology trilogy by Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire). In the year 2027 humanity no longer deals with sickness and disease due the genetically engineered tapeworms created by SymboGen that everyone now carries. The story primarily follows Sally Mitchel who nearly died six years ago but was saved by the SymboGen tape worm. However, things are starting to go wrong with the tape worms and people are not acting like they should so Sally must figure out what is going on and her new place in the world.

The story starts out very interesting seeing how the world is different from today. As I don’t think there would very be anything that would convince me to carry a tapeworm. Sal, as Sally prefers, doesn’t remember anything from before that accident that nearly killed her so she is being treated as a medical miracle even years later. It’s clear that while she understand everyone want to find out how she survived and what happened she hates being treated like a child. As a sleeping sickness starts affecting people everywhere Sal and her boyfriend start uncovering secrets that will change everything and that puts them in grave danger.

Though I’ve loved many of Seanan McGuire’s other works there is an important plot twist about halfway through the book that completely lost me. Given that the science seems very sound in the rest of the book this twist seemed to come out of left field and didn’t flow with the rest of the story. Seanan McGuire’s endings though, especially in her science fiction horror books, feel like a gut punch or that didn’t just happen, did it? Its nothing that I ever expect and it always causes me to want to read more.

If you have any anxiety or fears based around medical events or parasites/bugs I would consider not reading this series. I absolutely loved the NewsFlesh series and have loved many of Seanan McGuire’s other work so I was expecting to love this book. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping with the ending I do plan on continuing the series but I don’t think I will have that high of expectations for the rest of the series.

Rating:

January 2019 Wrap Up

On February 5, 2019February 4, 2019 By AllieS.In Wrap UpLeave a comment

January was not a great reading month for me, while I’ve read five books none of them I really love. I did finish Kingdom Heart this month which I’ve been playing for a while so that does make up for it some.

Books:

39330961 The first book I read this year was the screenplay of Fantastic Beast: The Crimes of Grindelwald. I love Harry Potter and I grew up with it so I know I will read and watch anything new that comes out. I just hope the next things J. K. Rowling puts out is better than this. Though I didn’t hate The Crimes of Grindelwald movie it could have been better. Screenplay on the other hand don’t really work as books as there is so much information that is not given to the reader. Though I bought it more for the pretty cover and for my Harry Potter collection. Rating:

Walking Dead Book 7 by Robert Kirkman is the collection of issues #73-84 which is part of the Alexandrian Safe Zone story arc. At this point Rick and the others have arrived at Alexandria and the story follows whether or not this could actually be a safe place to stay. I’ve been rereading the comics to catch back up and I’ve noticed this time that I don’t like certain story lines and elements more this time than in the past. Jessie was very annoying as I didn’t like the story in either the book or show and everyone in Alexandria feel very naive as they don’t fully understand the world now.I will continue with the series but as some parts I love and others drag. Rating:

Endsinger by Jay Kristoff is the last book in the Lotus War Trilogy which is a fantasy story set in a steam punk Japan where Yukiko and her father are tasked with finding the last of the Arashitoras (thunder tigers). All while the country is at war and a rebellion is brewing. I wanted to love this book as I’ve loved many of Jay Kristoff’s other works but I didn’t. I feel like this is mostly my fault as I read each book in the series too far apart. Though the characters are great and I love many of them, I often felt that the consequences of their actions didn’t have much of an impact. However, Yukiko and Buruu will always be amazing and the bitter sweetness of their story’s end is what I wish more books would strive for. Rating:

Post Secret and My Secret by Frank Warren are both compilations of postcard sent in to the Post Secret project which asked people to send in anonymous secrets though the mail as a way to release ones feelings and secret that people where hiding. It’s an interesting concept that shows that while everyone is different the fear and secrets that we keep are all very similar. In general these books are more art pieces than actual books. My Secret is aimed a little more at college student than Post Secret is but they are essentially the same thing. Rating of both:

Games:

This month I also finished one PlayStation 4 game which was Kingdom Hearts which I have a full review of. I also attempted Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories but only got though the first couple of hours before deciding that I hated the card battle system and that I would get move out of watching Chain of Memories. I love Kingdom Hearts and so glad I’ve finally taken the time to work on completing the franchise.

December 2018 Wrap Up

On January 29, 2019January 28, 2019 By AllieS.In Wrap UpLeave a comment

During December I read 3 books and started and finished one PlayStation 4 game. Three books doesn’t sound like a lot in comparison to what I’ve read in some months but I felt good about what I read and with the holidays I spent a lot of time with my family so the numbers don’t matter.

Books:

18404173 The first book I read and finished was The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport. As a historian I try to read a few nonfiction history books each year thought I primarily read for fun these days. The Romanov Sisters follows the lives of the last four Grand Duchesses of Russia: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanov from their births till their deaths during the Russian Revolution. Helen Rappaport weaves their story in a way that makes it feel like your not reading a boring account of history which I hope more historians are able to do. She includes all the relevant information and quotes from the girls letters that show case how bright and wonderful these young women were who died to young. I feel like the reader doesn’t need to know much if anything about Russian history to enjoy the book but those who like to read history or nonfiction could get more out of it. Though an enjoyable and well researched book I did feel like it started to drag a bit when the timeline got to World War I as the lives of the Romanov’s become much more restricted and not as interesting to read about. Overall I feel like this is a history book written for everyone and I gave it 3/5 stars.

13641105 The second book I finished in December was Parasite by Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire) where in the year 2027 sickness and disease have been eradicated by everyone caring a genetically engineered tape worm create by SymboGen. The story follows Sally Mitchel who nearly died six years ago but was saved by the SymoboGen tape worm. However, things are starting to go wrong with the tape worms and people are not acting like they should so Sally must figure out what is going on and her new place in the world. If you have any anxiety or fears based around medical events or parasites/bugs I would consider not reading this series. I absolutely loved the NewsFlesh series and have loved many of Seanan McGuire’s other work so I was expecting to love this book. However, the book starts out strong I started to lose enjoyment while reading about half way though as there is a major plot twist that I couldn’t really get behind. Seanan McGuire’s endings though, especially in her science fiction horror books feel like a gut punch or that didn’t just happen, did it? Its nothing that I ever expect and it always causes me to want to read more. So, I do plan on continuing the series but I don’t think I will love it as much as some of her other series. For this first book I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

31014504 The final book I read was Doctor Who: Twelve Doctors of Christmas. I’ve loved Doctor Who for years now and while I don’t read many of the books there are some gems out there. Twelve Doctors of Christmas is a collection of short stories featuring each of the twelve Doctors and stories set around or on Christmas Day. The book is structured with one story and illustration for each Doctor. I feel those who have seen at least a few episodes from each Doctor will get the most enjoyment out of the stories but even if you have only gotten into Doctor Who recently there is something for everyone. All twelve stories are well written, cute stories focusing on the Doctor and Christmas that is best read during the holiday season. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Games:

unravel_cover_art I started and finished the PlayStation 4 game Unravel in December. In Unravel you play as a little yarn guy, called Yarny, through a series of adventures in different locations from a families past. The story is told only though the animation,images, and the music as there is no dialogue in the entire game. As you play thought different levels such as a beach, winter landscapes, and farmland you complete puzzles and platforming sections that show you more of the story and the emotions of what you are seeing. Though the puzzles can be changeling, its amazing how much can be done without dialogue or much of the written word. I had a great time playing the game and I think I might play the squeal.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Review

On October 16, 2018 By AllieS.In Book ReviewLeave a comment

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes PBK mech.indd So I just finished Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty and this is not the first book I was expecting to review for this blog. I currently have multiple books and shows going, which is unusual for me,I never know what I will finish first but I thought my first review wouldn’t be on such a hard topic.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is part memoir, part death history, and part discussion of the death industry in the United States. Caitlin is candied about the truth of how many American experience death and know very little about the death industry while at the same time injecting a very morbid sense of humor that allows the reader to be more comfortable with the topic. Caitlin runs a funeral home in California called Undertaking LA and a YouTube channel called Ask a Mortician.She is also the founder of the Order of the Good Death.

This book is hard to discuss because I really don’t know what to say given the subject, as it can sound weird that you like a book about death. In some ways as a historian that specializes in public history (museum, memorials, historical sites etc) I feel like I’m more comfortable with the idea of death than some people. As many of these sites deal with war, tragedies, and history that is taught involves people that are dead.Smoke Gets In Your Eyes pulls back the curtain in the death industry and gives a glimpse into how the modern western world handles the dead. No matter how much of a history buff you are historians write and research about events and people but most books still wouldn’t discuss in detail how the dead are treated and handled.

I biggest take away I have is that everything we do as humans is because one day we will died and the real question is what is a good death to you. What is it that you would want to happen to your body and possession when your gone. And are the major conversations that you need to have with family or friends about your future plans and possibly theirs. I know as a millennial we often have pretty morbid sense humor which I get as many days it seems like the wold is about to go up in flames or is already on fire depending on your prospective. However, I think most of us don’t want to die today or anytime soon. Planing for the inevitable future is not a bad thing and there is so much you can do with your body or remains if you want to, for example being shot into space.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is a powerful book about death and the death industry. Thought not for the faint of heart Caitlin Doughty does intersperse these harder topics and slightly graphic descriptions with her morbid since of humor. I would recommend this book to all those wanting to know about the death industry and those who have seen her on YouTube.