Hello friends! Today I am going to be discussing all of the books that I read in August. It's only a few days into the month of September, so I am not too far behind schedule at all! Besides, I read until the very last day of August, and I wanted to make sure I included everything that I read.
Because I am trying to do both the book BLOGGING and also the BookTubing, I have decided to really incorporate both mediums in this post. Previously, the posts with both have either been very blog heavy, or very video heavy, with basically the same information in both. But TODAY I am going to be mixing the two in a (hopefully) fair way, and I will be having additional content in both the video and the post. In my video, I am going to go through all the books that I read, and discuss various stories that I have about the books, and give my quick opinion about them in a very candid way. In this blog post, I am going to be going further into each story, and writing a small review about each book. I often see people do wrap-ups where they'll give their quick opinion on a book they read, and I find myself wanting to know more about what they thought! Unfortunately, we don't all have the time to create incredibly long videos, nor the time to watch them. So here's my way of creating a happy medium. Without any further 'ado,' here are my reviews! (did you see how that rhymed... it was cute)
HERE'S THE VIDEO!!
AND HERE ARE THE REVIEWS!!
1. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. 4/5 Goodreads stars
I read The Knife of Never Letting Go for BookTube-a-Thon back in July, but I waited until August to pick up The Ask and the Answer. Part of the reason is that these books are so very sad to read. It's as if everything that could go wrong, will inevitably go wrong, and I feel like I could not marathon this series because of how sad it is. However, I will go on and on about the way Patrick Ness writes, it is absolutely amazing. It's so fast paced, and entertaining, and I love every minute of it. As I mentioned in the video, I WAS spoiled while reading this book, which made me so upset, but I will still continue on with this series to see how the story pans out. (side note: I know the series came out a long time ago; however, it was the way in which the person was writing about the series that made me so angry, because it was really rude! ALSO they did NOT tag their spoilers properly! I have everything back listed for the Chaos Walking trilogy, and so that is really what ticked me off. But I am kind of over it now.) I can't say much else because it IS the second book in a series, and I don't want to spoil anyone myself.
2. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith 4/5 Goodreads stars.
This book was cute! The story line was decent, and thought that the characters were also cute, as was their connection. The concept and the story was unique enough, and I really liked the way it flowed. One thing that I do NOT like in stories is when large chunks of time pass by unexplained, just to account for a year passing. I found that Jennifer E. Smith did a really good job of letting a lot of time pass to build the story, but also accounting for that missing time in a good way. (i.e. those short, switching, chapters in the middle.) Of course we've got the ever present case of the 'missing YA parents' when it comes to Lucy's parents, but sometimes I like reading those kinds of stories. It just definitely makes the characters seem farther removed from my life, and I find I can't relate to them. I didn't feel anything monumentally moving while reading this story, but, honestly, it was perfectly done for what it was: a cute story.
3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell 4.5/5 Goodreads stars (if that were possible) (hint, hint, Goodreads)
*MILD* SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION
Oh Rainbow Rowell. How you made me fall in love with this book, I will never know. (Actually I do, it's because you're brilliant.) The feeling you have while reading this book is significantly different then the feeling you have once you've finished. While I was reading this book, I felt a definite roller coaster of emotions. I was constantly torn between how to feel about both Eleanor, and Park. My heart went out to Eleanor. I was so frustrated by her life, because I wanted so much better for her. I really wanted her to be happy, I wanted her to be loved, I wanted for her to stop being bullied, and to have all the necessities she needs in her life. It just made me so sad to read about her life. But then when her and Park start to build a relationship, it plants a seed of hope in you, that things will turn out better for Eleanor. And we have to believe that they do. The last line in the book both broke my heart, and filled me with hope, because we honestly don't know what it was. We can speculate, but I really do not even want to know what those three words were. (PS if you ever feel like speculating, go watch Christine Riccio from Polandbananasbooks' book talk on Eleanor & Park. The comments are filled with three worded phrases.)
SPOILERS OVER, BUSINESS AS USUAL LADIES AND GENTS
5. My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut by Hannah Hart
Who would've thought I'd read a cookbook cover to cover? When I started looking through MDK, I didn't think It'd read like a novel. And though it really doesn't, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as such. It was such an adorable, hilarious, and HART-warming book (no, YOU'VE used that pun twice). You could clearly hear Hannah's voice in the writing, and I loved that she remained authentic.
4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I didn't even do this intentionally, but I read two Patrick Ness books this month. I've really started to love the way he writes, and A Monster Calls was no exception. It was a beautiful story, but also very sad. The artwork that accompanied the story was absolutely perfect, and it took the story to another level. The story was very somber, and I the art style matched it very well. I can't say much about this short book without giving much away, other than it was very good. I'm going to include some pictures of the artwork because I think it is incredible.
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| The way the art creeps across the page and overcomes the text was so amazing, and it really took the book to another level. |
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| There was both very harsh art, with hard edges and dark blacks, but there were also softer components as well. This was one of my favourite pages. |
6. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
7. Locke and Key Volume #1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez.
I have to put a little disclaimer here: I am a new comic book reader. Besides my obsession with the Archie comics when I was about 12, I haven't really been a regular comic book reader. I picked this up not knowing much about it, just knowing it was good. Let me tell you... IT WAS SO GOOD. WOW. I really really enjoyed reading Locke and Key. It IS graphic, and rated 'mature', but it was so so good. I loved the characters, and I loved the house, and the story arc that took place in this volume. I will certainly be picking up the next volumes.
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| LOOK AT THIS ART, I CRY |
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| SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE ART |
8. Rat Queens Volume #1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch
Once I was done Locke and Key, I was really wanting to read another comic. My sister purchased Rat Queens at Fan Expo, and so I borrowed it from her to read. I LOVED Rat Queens, maybe even a bit more than I loved Locke and Key. |
| I seriously loved all the Queens, but I think Betty was my favourite. She was adorable and sassy, and kick-butt. |
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| I loved the way all the girls were drawn, they were all so unique |
The girls in Rat Queens are just SO freaking bad ass and awesome, that I couldn't even handle it. I loved all four of them, and the awesome universe that they exist in. I cannot wait to read the next volume, because I had so much fun reading this first one.
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| In a stark contrast to Locke and Key, Rat Queens was full of bright and vibrant colours, while Locke and Key took on a more subdued tone. |
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Read On,
B
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