Book Blog #23, Roses

Roses                                              Historical Fiction                               by Leila Meacham

Mary Toliver has inherited her father's entire plantation, which comes as a shock to everyone. She is the only true Toliver left in her bloodline, as she LOVES the plantation. Her entire family turns against her, as they see it as an unfair decision to her mother. Her brother is 21, and she is 16, so he has custody over the farm for 5 more years, and he messes everything up when she is forced to go to school. When she is at school, her brother goes off to war in France, which means she has to take care of her thousands of acres of cotton. She meets her love, and they can be together, but many hardships befall them, and their relationship can barely survive. Will they make it?

I enjoyed this book because it was a genre I don't normally find interesting, but this one was good. The author did a good job of pulling you into the story and making it seem realistic and like you are in the situation. There were a lot of perspective changes which got confusing, and an entire family tree you need to memorize to make sense of the story. The book does tend to get overcomplicated at times, when things could be simpler. Don't let the fact that it ways 2.5 pounds (I checked) discourage you from reading it, as it is a really good book, regardless of weight.

WARNING! This book has a lot of violence, sex, cussing, and a ton of romance, as half of the book is focused around dating. There is also a ton of violence.

TBR list
The Pearl     by John Steinbeck
Somerset     by Leila Meacham
Tumbleweeds     by Leila Meacham
Wool     by Hugh Howey
Carry On     by Rainbow Rowell

Book Blog #22, The Pun Also Rises

The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics                      Humorous Non-fiction                      by John Pollock

Ever wondered how puns came to be? How were they used throughout time in different ways? Puns have always been used to lighten up the mood, and to add comedy. They have been berated, and also praised. The brain has to use several different parts to get a pun, and they have to be used in very complicated ways. Puns are interpreted differently to everyone who hears them. A single pun can have 3 completely different meanings in the eyes of some people. This book is about, as the title says, how puns changed language, the pun's history, and how they changed wordplay.

Overall this book is quite pun-derful. I have enjoyed it quite a bit. The author did a good job of making the writing punnier than the usual book, as many jokes are incorporated into it as examples of what he is talking about. I also like how the author incorporated very different styles of jokes into the book, and I had previously known very few of them. The book was hard to get into after the quite interesting prologue, as to me the pace slowed down quite a bit. I think that although the plot is entertaining, it does get slow at points and I did get bored a few times. Warning:

Warning: there are some sexual puns and some swearing, but it is not overwhelmingly so. You may laugh several times due to very odd puns and jokes, and learn a lot of jokes.

If I could read a book that has not been written yet it would probably be something like another book by Ernest Cline. It would be Sci-fi, but still incorporate video games aspects into it. Potentially a sequel to Ready Player one with the OASIS. It would also have some aspects from The Martian. It would be called something like Control Area 2, definitely something with the number 2 in it.

TBR list:
The 5th Wave     by Rick Yancey
Wool     by Hugh Howey
Nimona     by Noelle Stevenson
Go Ask Alice     by Beatrice Sparks
Most Dangerous     by Steve Sheinkin

Book Blog #21, Fangirl

Fangirl          by Rainbow Rowell                                              realistic fiction, some fantasy excerpts

Simon Snow is famous. Okay, that was an understatement. He is a worldwide sensation. Ever since the world of mages was made known to the world everyone has loved (He is basically Harry  Potter). Nobody is a bigger fan of him than twins Cath and Wren. They have always been a package, even their best friends can't always tell them apart. They both love writing Fanfiction, and they are completely identical.When it is their first year in college and Wren requests to be with someone else Cath has never felt so betrayed. She has to adapt to a completely new roommate and life. When in less than a year the final book comes out, and she has to race to finish Carry On, the fanfiction she has devoted her life to, before it comes out.

I personally really enjoyed this book. I like how the author creates a story inside the story, and has two stories that you get drawn into (by the end of it you want to know what happens to Simon Snow). I also like how there is a lot of build up to both climaxes, so you are always interested in what is happening. This book is meant for girls, but I do think it is enjoyable for the story for boys. It also doesn't overwhelmingly hinder the storyline. I do think that it is definitely young adult because there is a LOT of romance and stuff about relationships.


The book I am reading this week is The Pun Also Rises by John Pollock


WARNING!! This book contains a fair amount of cursing, and it can be excessive at times. There is also a lot about romance and relationships. It is a young adult book.


TBR list

Carry On (Fangirl sequel)       by Rainbow Rowell

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future       by A.S. King

Locomotion       by Jacqueline Woodson

The accident Season       by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Speak       by Laurie Halse-Anderson

Book Blog #20, The Secret Life of Bees, week #2

The Secret Life of Bees                                                                                              by Sue Monk Kidd

Lily meets the out-going sisters, August, May, and June. Lily and Rosaleen instantly feel at home. She learns about religion and life styles she couldn't dream of. From beekeeping to praying, she starts to fit into the wacky lifestyle when a tragedy occurs. It affects everyone in the household. She always wonders about her past, and she ends learning more about it than she ever wanted to know. Her future has been filled with twists and turns, and she wonders how much change needs to take place before Lily can settle down into a normal routine again.


Book Group Assignment Paragraphs
I personally enjoyed this book a lot. I enjoyed how many emotions were conveyed through it, and how much I felt like I know the characters. The other thing that I really like about it is how realistic it is. There were very few parts of it that seemed unrealistic, which make it seem more believable and authentic. The time that the book is set in is portrayed very well, and it is accurate as far as I can tell. This improves the story for me because it makes it seem more realistic and enjoyable. I like that relationships between characters progress really well and realistically. This like I said above, helped the book feel more realistic to me, and made it seem like all of the characters were growing and changing. The style in which the book is written also helps to progress the book, because how people talk and think are written in a similar fashion. The author also put the right amount of thought and length into everything that happened, which paced the book really well.

Even though that all of the main protagonists are female, it is still a good book for boys to read because there is a lot of thought that goes on and interesting discussion topics no matter your gender. This makes it a good book group for anyone because there are so many interesting topics and controversial things in the book. It has a story and history that is important for people to know, because it is about the Civil Rights Act, which is important to learn about.


Warning!! There is a fair amount of profanity used in this book, although most of it makes sense in context, but it is a little excessive at some points. There is also some violence, but it did not hinder the story, but it was realistic.

TBR list
Seveneves   by Neal Stephenson
Side effects may vary   by Julie Murphy
Into thin air   by Jon Kraukauer
Leviathan Wakes   by James A. Corey
Farenheit 451   by Ray Bradbury

Book Blog #19, The Secret Life of Bees, week #1

The Secret Life of Bees                                       by Sue Monk Kidd
Lily Owens has never really known her past only the future. Her mother died when she was young, and she only remembers that it was partly her fault. Her dad, T-Ray has abused her and never acted like a true father. Rosaleen her nanny has been the only kind parental figure in her life for ages. Lily runs away with Rosaleen after she decides she has had enough. She is soon in a new place with only Rosaleen, a place she came to on a whim. She finds a picture of colored Mary, the same picture her mother had. She decides to find the beekeeper who produces the honey, who had to know her mother.


So far I have enjoyed this book quite a bit. One of the things that I really like is that from what I can tell, the author portrays the time really well, and it is detailed and accurate. One of the other parts I like is that it is a unique perspective on the civil rights act. I think that the authors writing style fits the book well. The book is written in the same way that the characters talk, which for me brings me into the story. The story isn't predictable, which I like. I am never expecting what happens next, and it always surprises me when something unexpected occurs. Overall, it is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of foul language.


I would like to do a book group in the genres of Sci-Fi, or fantasy. I would like to do a book group in one of these genres because they are not as often discussed, and I would be interested in hearing other peoples opinions on them.


Warning: There is quite a bit of cussing in this book, but most of it is in context or it suits the character.


TBR list
The Stone Angel     by Margaret Laurence
In the Time of the Butterflies     by Julia Alvarez
Ape House     by Sara Gruen
At the Water's Edge     by Sara Gruen
Roses     by Leila Meacham
We are all Made of Molecules     by Susan Nielsen

My dog, Rhyming poem

Mel

The energetic ball chases across the floor,                                        A
she gives you love, more and more.                                                  A
As desperate as she may seem,                                                          B
her eyes will always start to gleam,                                                   B
as soon as you open the door.                                                            A

After you've been around for a while,                                                A
she slumps down into a great big pile.                                               A
She lies down on the rug,                                                                     B
and she lets you pet her and give her a hug.                                       B

She bolts up into the air,                                                                     X
gains traction on the floor,                                                                 A
lets out a loud bark,                                                                            X
at the stranger at the door.                                                                 A

As you start to rest,                                                                            A
you give her a treat.                                                                           X
She knows that you love her best,                                                     A
a fact that she can never detest.                                                         A

Book Blog #18, Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants                                                                                                           by Sara Gruen
With no money and no family or home, Jacob Jankowski jumps onto a freight train in the dead of night. He soon finds himself in the midst of a busy circus show, trying to find his way. They realize that he will be the shows veterinarian. The show is desperate for anything to get business up, and they buy a "useless" elephant. When Jacob discovers the elephant's talents, it quickly becomes a show stopper. He quickly falls in love with a performer, and his relationships get increasingly more difficult. It is told by a 93 year old Jacob as he recounts his circus days, and as you see where he is now.
I enjoyed this book a lot. The author did a phenomenal job of setting the scene, and I felt like I really knew a lot of the characters. It was a very fast read, and I never got bored. One of the other things that made this a good book was that there were things happening constantly, and that there were always new twists and turns in the plot. I think that the author also new what she was talking about, and it was very realistic. I also think that because it was so vivid it would actually progress the storyline instead of making it drag on and on. One thing I didn't enjoy were the factors of it that definitely made it young-adult literature. They could sometimes hinder the plot and make it harder to read for me. The movie is PG-13, and it is very obvious why to me because it is very much an adult book.

Warning: There is a lot of sex and romance in the book that is described. There are affairs and things like that. There is some amount of violence and gore but it is not terrible. Finally, there is a lot of extensive cursing, to a point where it can sometimes hinder the storyline.

I would like to start reading things that will challenge me more and to start reading more difficult things. I would also like to continue to branch out with the genres of the book I read. I want to start choosing books that are different from each other from week to week. I think that I aspire to get back into the habit of reading a lot more, because I do enjoy books a lot.



TBR list:
The Marvels   by Brian Selznick
The House of The Scorpion   by Nancy Farmer
Fangirl   by Rainbow Rowell
Postcards from no man's land   by Aidan Chambers
2001 a space odyssey   by Arthur C. Clarke