Tag: Book Review

October 2023 Wrap Up

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In October I read six books and watched two movies. I was around this time that I got very busy and posting just wasn’t happening so now I’m catching up.

Books:

The first book I read was The Curse of Moonseed Manor by D. Lieber which is a gothic mystery story set at a possible haunted house in the same vain as Rebecca. I do have a full review already posted and feel like that if you like mysteries and haunted houses you would enjoy this.

To Sleep In A Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini follows Kira who accidently finds an alien relic during a routine survey mission and is launched into events to save Earth and all of Humanity. This is Paolini’s first adult science fiction work and while I loved the characters and enjoyed most of the concepts I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if it had been split into two books.

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments by Hadley Valhos is a nonfiction book about her interactions with patients that have impacted her the most so far while being a hospice nurse. While a hard topic with is a memoir that shows hos caring for others can change one’s life and how one deals with grief.

A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard is a sapphic Count of Monte Cristo inspired story set in space. I do have a full review posted as well but this is perfect for those that love science fiction with a romantic spin.

Britney Spears memoir The Woman in Me is Britney sharing her story in the music industry and the conservatorship that she was forced into. While at times sad, this memoir allows one to get a glimpse into who Britney Spears really is and how things have affected her over the years.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is a science fiction book about Michael Smith who is a human raised on Mars and has returned to Earth. Interesting concepts but you and can that it was written in the 60s and I didn’t enjoy reading it.

Movies:

I watched two movies this month the first was Grave Encounters. Grave Encounters is a found footage horror movie where a team of Ghost Hunters lock themselves into an abandoned asylum that is supposed to be haunted. As the night goes on it starts to become clear that the asylum really is haunted and the team is in danger. Not bad for a found footage movie but the effects could have been better in some scenes but a good horror movie overall for the Halloween season.

The only other movie I watched was Resident Evil: Death Island. This is the newest Resident Evil animated movie to come out and its set in the same universe as the video games. While not a bad movie its made for fans of the games but it was cool seeing fan favorite characters working together.

Book Review: A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard

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A Fire Born of Exile is a sapphic Count of Monte Cristo inspired story in space set in the Xuya Universe. This Universe is one in which Asian culture is dominate, scholars administrate different planets, and sentient spaceships have families. A Fire Born of Exile came out in October 2023 but I received a review copy from Netgalley and I’m currently catching up on things that I meant to post earlier.

The story focuses on Quynh an Alchemist who wants revenge for events in her past and Minh the daughter of the ruler of the Scattered Peral Belt who wants to escape her mothers plans for her. I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if I better knew the story of the Count of Monte Cristo but I still enjoyed this book. I love how different the Xuya Universe is to most of the science fiction that I’ve read and I want to read more set in this universe.

September 2023 Wrap Up

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In September read seven books, watched several horror movies, and started playing a new mobile game that I will continue playing for a while. I’ve been very busy the last several months and I’m currently trying to get caught up on the posts that I’ve been meaning to write and schedule.

Books:

The first book that I finished in September was Tinker by Wen Spencer which is a fantasy/Sci-Fi novel that follows the inventor Tinker who lives in a near future Pittsburgh that now exists in the land of the elves. An interesting concept but I hated how everyone kept assuming Tinker knew certain things without anyone stopping to explain what was happening or going on. Its also very clear that it was written in the early 2000s and has many tropes common in books from then.

Next was Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire which was a reread for me as I continue on with the Wayward Children’s series. This one follows Cora and others from Eleanor West’s school going on a quest to help Rini and save her world. Rini is Sumi’s daughter but Sumi was killed in the first book which has thrown her world of Confection into chaos. To save Rini they must find a way to bring Sumi back to life. Not my favorite book in the series but I liked it better on reread.

FeedBack by Mira Grant is the last book in the Newsflesh series that retells the story of Feed from the perspective of the reporters covering the Democratic side of the election. While I enjoyed being back in this world, I loved the characters from the trilogy so much and we only get mentions of them I ended up loving this book like the others. The most interesting aspect of FeedBack to me was seeing the reactions of these characters when they find out what is really going on and how that is connected to the characters from the trilogy.

Next I read In An Absent Dream and Juice Like Wounds both by Seanan McGuire to continue reading the Wayward Children’s series. In An Absent Dream follows Lundy’s story and her experiences in the Goblin Market and Juice Like Wounds is a short story following one of Lundy’s adventures. In An Absent Dream is my least favorite of the series so far. I loved the concept of the Goblin Market but I feel like the most interesting things that happen to Lundy are not shone. Lundy has trouble choosing between her world and the family she loves to the point that the choice no longer is hers to make and is forced upon her. Juice Like Wounds is more what I was expecting Absent Dream to be like and it gives a better understanding to the choice Lundy is forced into.

The next book I read was Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling is a book written like a text book for the characters in the world of Harry Potter. I read the illustrated edition which is like a coffee table book and something I think fans should read once.

The last book I read in September was Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. This is a science fiction book where at the age of 75 you can join the Colonial Defense Force in Space. We follow John Perry who takes this deal and learns what humanity is up against in space. An interesting idea that remined me a little of Starship Troopers (I’ve only seen the movie). While this is a start to a series the end is such that you don’t have to continue it.

Movies:

The horror movies that I watched were Hell House LLC and its two sequels. Set five years after the death of 15 people on opening night of the Hell House haunted house attraction a documnetary crew is trying to find out what happened. They get tapes that show events leading up to the opening of Hell House which is set at an abounded hotel and as the movie continues you start to question is the hotel is haunted or not. The first movie is a good found footage horror movie but sequels removes all ambiguity of what happened and straight up decides to make it a battle between the forces of heaven and hell. I would recommend the first one but don’t feel the need to watch the sequels.

Video Games:

The only video game that I’ve been playing has been Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis which is a new mobile game that retells the stories of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, and The First Soldier. Currently, I’m having fun with it but I’m making a point to not spend any money on this game. If you are a Final Fantasy VII fan I would recommend trying it out as its free but I can see many people not liking it.

August 2023 Wrap Up

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In August I read seven books, including three comics, and went to the Barbie movie.

Books:

Grimm Rose by Kasi Blake is the start young adult fantasy fairytale retelling series with some interesting twists. The story follows Shayne a half-ling servant of the Ivory Queen who inadvertently and by force is going to marry the Ivory Queen’s son unless she steals Cinderella’s glass slipper. Overall, an interesting take on a fairytale retelling and I have a full review posted as well.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is the first book in the Winternight trilogy. We follow Vasillisa who can see spirits but as evil creatures from the forest threaten the village she must use her gifts to protect her family. Beautifully written and I loved the inclusion of Russian folk tales. I do plan to continue with this series.

The Tea Dragon Society, The Tea Dragon Festival, and The Tea Dragon Tapestry all by Kay O’Neill is a cute comic book series about dragons that grow tea leaves on their horns. Society follows Greta as she meets people involved in the world of Tea Dragons and learns more about them. Festival follows Rinn who has grown up around Tea Dragons but finds a young real dragon asleep in the forest and she helps him find out why he has bee asleep for so long. Finally, Tapestry follows Greta as she struggles to create something to impress a blacksmith for an apprenticeship while Minette starts to deal with her past. This is a very cute comic series that is great for those wanting something lighthearted.

Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson is a nonfiction book about the lives of heiresses throughout history and their struggles finding love and trying to trust those in their lives. Great for those interested in this topic and reads in a way that non historians would enjoy.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire is the second book in the Wayward Children series. In this book we follow Jack and Jill as they go through their door into the world of the Moors and we find out what happens to them while they are there. I love this series and I’m making my way though all the books to catch up with the series.

Movies:

I also went to the movie theater and saw Barbie with my mom. Since there are so many reactions and reviews out now all I’ll say is that I loved it and if you haven’t seen it you should.

July 2023 Wrap Up

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In July I read eight book most of them graphic novels and watched two movies.

Books:

First book I read in July was Secrets of the Vampire: A Supernatural Sourcebook of Our Legend and Lore by Julie Legere. This is a nonfiction book about vampires throughout history that I received as a review copy from Netgalley. This book focuses on historical and pop culture ideas about vampires and where these ideas come from while being “narrated” by a vampire. This is a great book from fan of vampires especially teenagers.

Witch King by Martha Wells is an adult fantasy novel following Kai who after being murdered and trapped finds a lesser mage trying to gain control of his powers. Kai, along with his friend Ziede, must figure out why they were imprisoned though they might not like the answers. I also have a full in-depth review already posted.

The last books that I read was all seven of the Monstress graphic novels that are currently out. I reread the was that I’ve read before and caught up to where the series is currently. I love this graphic novel series about Maika Halfwolf and her quest to find out more about her connection to this monster that also inhabits her body. I artwork is amazing and I can’t wait for the next volume.

Movies:

I watched two movies this month the first being Titanic 666. I sometimes see trailers for what is obviously going to be a bad Titanic movie but I want to see how bad it really is. This movie follows the voyage of the Titanic III, as this is a sequel to Titanic II, as they travel on the historical route of the original Titanic. A descendent of one of the Titanic’s passengers sneaks aboard to summon the spirits of the dead and kill everyone on board. I knew that this was a bad movie going in so I wasn’t expecting much but I do feel that the idea the the spirits of the captain and crew being the ones vengeful enough to kill these passengers and a deep mischaracterization of these real people who died while trying to save as many as they could no the Titanic.

The other movie I watched in July was 65 and was much better. 65 follows Mills a pilot on a two year journey from his home planet when the ship gets hit by an asteroid. Mills believes that he is the only survivor until he find a young girl name Koa but they don’t speak the same language. It turns out that they have crash landed on Earth 65 million years ago and together must try to get to the escape pod. Though their journey they are attacked by different dinosaurs and realize that another large asteroid is headed to earth. While I enjoyed this movie I feel like the marking focused more on the dinosaurs and because of that I wanted more action with them.

Book Review: Grimm Rose by Kasi Blake

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Grimm Rose by Kasi Blake is the start young adult fantasy fairytale retelling series with some interesting twists. I received a review copy from the author and will be including the full blurb and a link to purchase at the end of this review.

We follow Shayne a half-ling servant of the Ivory Queen who inadvertently and by force is going to marry the Ivory Queen’s son unless she steals Cinderella’s glass slipper. However, the slipper is closely guarded by Cinderella’s son who is know to kill those who try to steel from him. When Shayne and him meet they hate each other but their fates may be intertwined. While this is a fairytale retelling in many ways the focus is on the children of the characters from the original stories and a magic system that is unique to this series. I loved how the different magic systems worked and who had different types of magic.

Shayne is a stubborn protagonist that doesn’t want to be saved but to find a way to save herself which she ultimately does with the help of friends new and old. Without spoiling anything I loved finding out Shayne’s past and how she is connected to the magic of this world. While I didn’t love the relationship with her father I did love how that relationship is affected by the plot and other characters. In comparison, the love interest Aric is a much colder and calculating character which when you find out his past makes so much since and at first I didn’t think I would enjoy the romance between these two but I like where it went.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and start to this new series. I feel like this is a great series for those who love fairytale retellings, young adult fantasy, and slow burn romance.

Blurb from Amazon:

Happy endings are optional.
If she steals Cinderella’s glass slipper, she gains her freedom.
If she fails, she loses her life.

At sixteen, Shayne should be attending parties and giggling over boys. But half-ling servants—half faerie and half mortal—aren’t allowed to have fun. Her destiny is to serve the royal family until she dies. It’s a bleak existence with no way out… or so she thinks.

When a runaway bride chooses death over marriage to the pudgy prince, the Ivory Queen shoves the cursed engagement ring onto Shayne’s hand and announces that she will take the dead girl’s place. Marriage to the Toad? She’d rather die.
Seeing her reluctance, the queen offers her a choice. She can marry the prince, or she can steal Cinderella’s glass slipper. Swiping a shoe from Cinderella’s last living relative sounds easy.

Then she meets Cinderella’s son. It’s hate-at-first-sight for both of them. He has magical powers, a bad attitude, and a deep thirst for vengeance that rivals her own. Stinking troll!

Aric refuses to let her have his mother’s glass slipper. She tries reasoning with him. That doesn’t work. She gives him a sob story about a fictional sister locked in the queen’s dungeon. He doesn’t even blink. By his own admission, he has a heart of stone. Nothing can sway him.

In what she sees as an act of cowardice, he spills sugar and orders her to count each crystal. Her knees buckle. She hits the floor hard. There isn’t anything she can do.

Their hatred for the queen is the only thing they have in common. Can they put their loathing for each other to the side long enough to destroy the Ivory Queen and save the faerie realm?

This is the first book in the Once Upon a Curse series. Revenge meets Once Upon a Time (tv shows), and will appeal to both fairytale retelling lovers and straight up fantasy fans.

A Beauty and the Beast/Cinderella retelling with elements of both exciting stories intertwined. Familiar favorites and interesting new characters you will fall in love with are cleverly woven together to make a story you won’t soon forget. Get ready for a tale of powerful magic with an enemies-to-lovers, slow burn romance, plenty of action, and surprising plot twists.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBHRYYFX/?coliid=I322D004VLRT57&colid=2UUXW5NNRX44U&psc=0&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Book Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

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Witch King is an adult fantasy novel following Kai who after being murdered and trapped finds a lesser mage trying to gain control of his powers. Kai, along with his friend Ziede, must figure out why they were imprisoned though Kai might not like the answers.

The world created here is very different from other fantasies with a very unique magic system. The story goes back and forth between the present focusing on the mystery of what happened to Kai and his past and how he became know as the Witch King. Martha Wells does this so well that the reader learns what is going on in the present at the same time as the characters. The flash backs give enough information on the world and the past events to be informative while also leaving a mystery.

This is one of those books that is good on a first read but will be even better on a reread when you understand what is going on Witch King is currently a stand alone but is left open enough to have sequels in the future if the author wanted to.

June 2023 Wrap Up

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In June I read four books and watched two movies. My reading is starting to pick up again but some months are just better than others and that’s okay.

Books:

The first book I finished in June was Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas which is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series. Though I haven’t read a Throne of Glass book in a while they are very easy to get back into and I love how fast paced they can be. I won’t give a full summary to avoid spoilers and due to the fact these books are so popular but I did enjoy how this one dealt with some plot points that the series started with while also paving the way for where the series is going.

The next book was It’s Jeff #1 by Kelly Thompson which is the collection of the Marvel Infinity comics about Jeff the Land Shark. There is very little to no text in these comics as they are short stories/panels of Jeff being cute and interacting with other Marvel characters. Though I don’t have much to say about it, it was very cute.

The Marionettes by Katie Wismer is the start of a New Adult urban fantasy series focusing on vampires and witches. Valerie is going to the academy to join the Marionettes, the group of witches that serve the vampires. During her final trials she get pair with the local Vampire Prince, Reid and many secrets start to come out. I loved Valerie and her friends but I did find her relationship with her current boy friend Connor and what ends up happening to him a little predictable. I would have liked to have seen a little more world building as it becomes clear that everyone knows that vampires and other creatures exist but I don’t know if this is how the world always been. Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and the ending has me wanting to continue.

The last book I read this month was Breach of Peace by Daniel B. Greene which is his first novella. In this dark world an imperial family has been murdered and the police know as Officers of God are called to investigate. When Inspector Khild starts finding evidence of a larger conspiracy she become involved in something that may destroy everything she knows. Well written for a first novella and I was pulled into this world. As this is a novella I would have liked a little more world building to better understand what Khild is truly up against but I enjoyed it overall. However, I was not expecting how brutal the ending was going to be and I need to see where the story goes next.

Movies:

I also watched two movies this month the first being Titanic 2. I had heard bout this movie existing but I figured that it would be a pretty bad Titanic movie distributed by The Asylum. This movie follows a fictional replica of the Titanic sailing on the 100th year anniversary but global warming and the forces of nature cause history to repeat itself. As this movie came out in 2010 it was rideing the wave of Titanic media leading up to the 100th year anniversary but its not good and copies some of the same story beets as the James Cameron movie.

The only other movie I watched in June was Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City. Which is the newest live action Resident Evil movie that claims to be more accurate to the video games. I wasn’t expecting this to be good but I find the other Resident Evil movies to be guilty pleasure action movies that are mildly fun so that’s all I wanted out of this. However, this movie is not only fairly boring (I ended up doing laundry while watching it) but it also takes the names of characters from the games and completely changes them so it is in no way accurate to the games. If you are a fan of any other Resident Evil property be that the games or other movies my recommendation is not to watch this.

May 2023 Wrap Up

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May was a bit of a hectic month so I only read two books, both which were early copies from Netgalley. I did also finish playing Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

Books:

The first book I finished was Mister Magic by Kiersten White, which I also have a full review posted for. Mister Magic is a horror book were 30 years after an accident on the children’s TV show Mister Magic the cast is coming back together. However, Val doesn’t remember the show or what happened but weird things are going on and to save those she cares about she must remember. A little confusing at times but overall a very good horror. I you want to know my full thoughts please read the full review.

The only other book I read this month was The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear by Nat Segaloff which is a nonfiction book about the creation of the Exorcist movie and the sequels that came after it. While I enjoyed this deep dive into the history of the Exorcist with a title like Exorcist Legacy I was expecting more discussion on the impact the Exorcist has had on the horror genre as a whole. I feel like this book is best for super fans of the movie but over might enjoy it as well.

Video Games:

The only game I finished was Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion which I also have a full review posted for. This game is the remastered edition of the 2007 PSP game Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII with updated graphics, voice acting, and controls. This is a prequal to the original Final Fantasy VII focusing on Zack Fair and the events leading up to the Nibelheim incident. I loved this game and anyone who has an interest in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Project I fell should play this.

Book Review: Mister Magic by Kiersten White

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Mister Magic is the newest horror novel from Kiersten White, 30 years after an accident on the children’s show Mister Magic the cast is coming back together however there is no record of the show ever existing though some people remember it.

Val has no memory of her time on the show and is using this reunion to find out what happened and why she forgot about it. The vibe that I got about what Mister Magic as a show was Barney mixed with the friend group of Are you afraid of the dark with a sprinkling of analog horror elements such as Candle Cove. As a reader you are on the journey with Val as she struggles with learning what really happened and the cult that is involved. As we get to the ending it gets more confusing with what seems to be a rip in reality that a god/demon resides in that the cult uses to create the show and the children help control how the show manifests. The cult wants to use the show to impart specific ideals and values to the viewer but they need to use their own children as essentially sacrifices to get it done. Val figures out that the only way to stop more people from getting hurt is to take over Mister Magic both the character and the show.

Overall I enjoyed this book but at times it felt like I was never going to understand what was happening. After reading the authors note that explained that Kiersten White was raised Mormon you can see that this book specifically is her way of working through her experience/trauma with the church through fiction.