Friday Finds #23

Friday Finds is a blog meme hosted over at Should Be Reading that highlights the books you found and added to your To Be Read list, whether you found them online or in a bookstore and etc. They are not necessarily books that you purchased!

All of these are children's books I've never read. It'd be sad if I never did.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Bedknob and Broomstick by Mary Norton

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

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Have you read any of these? What children's book are you eager to read this year? 

Book Review: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Genre: 

Children's 

Published:

1990 by Puffin Books

Source:

Bought used

Pages:

240

Literary Awards:

Too many to list here! 

My Rating:

5 stars!

SYNOPSIS:

For hundreds of kids "The Trunchbull" is pure terror—for Matilda, she's a sitting duck.

Who put superglue in Dad's hat? Was it really a ghost that made Mom tear out of the house? Only sweet, gentle Matilda knows. Because she's the one playing all the jokes! She's a genius with idiot parents—and she's having a great time driving them crazy. But at school things are different. At school there's Miss Trunchbull, two hundred pounds of kid-hating bully. Pull a trick on "The Trunchbull" and she'll string you up. Get rid of The Trunchbull and you'll be a hero for every kid in Crunchem Hall. But that would take a superhuman genius. Or may a sweet, gentle—crafty—genius?

MY THOUGHTS:

I just can't believe that I never read a Roald Dahl book as a kid. My first was The Witches because I knew of it from the movie as a kid but I was 19-20 when I first found a copy of the book. Matilda was always one of my favorite movies as well so I just don't know how I never knew they were both books. I more recently read Fantastic Mr. Fox and James and the Giant Peach because I was also big fans of those movies as well. What can I say? I experienced all the films first which is a little odd because I read a lot of books as a kid but no one ever recommended anything so I guess I missed the good stuff.

I loved the film as I grew up on it and wanted to have "magic powers" just like Matilda to get back at the horrors of life. I grew up with the story but this is my first time actually reading the book.
I was happy to already know most of the phrases and it was entertaining to picture it all with a pre-existing memory of the characters and more from the movie. I wonder what I would have pictured 'The Chokey' to be like when I was 8 years old.
To be honest, I think I would have been very tempted to pull awful tricks on my family and other people when they were being horrid! 

Book Review: Sweetly

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

(Fairytale Retellings #2)

Genre:

Young Adult

Published:

2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages:

310

Source:

Purchased Hardcover 

My Rating:

3.5 stars

SYNOPSIS:

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

MY THOUGTS:

Sweetly is the second book in a quartet of fairytale retellings and is well named as a retelling of Hansel and Gretel. The names have been slightly changed to Ansel and Gretchen but it is obvious what this story is about from the beginning.

Ansel, Gretchen, and Gretchen's twin sister were out playing in the woods near their house when they come across 'the witch'. It chases them and by the time they realize that Gretchen's twin is missing, it is too late. They will never see her again. After the disappearance of their sister and the death of their mother, their father remarries but also dies from grief and their stepmother finally tosses them out once they have turned 18. They leave their home state in search of somewhere they can live without the worry and fear of the woods and witches. They break down in a small town called Live Oak in South Carolina where they meet a girl their age named Sophia who runs a chocolate shop all by herself. They quickly become friends and stay on to help her but soon learn of the town's dark secret: that girls are going missing after Sophia's chocolate festival every year. Wanting to face her fears and save any other girls from disappearing like her twin, Gretchen sets out to find the truth. But is it too much? And will she end up disappearing like the other girls? 

I read Sisters Red, the first in Pearce's 'Fairytale Retelling' series, last year. I thought it was an interesting read with a neat twist but I also had some problems with it. Sweetly on the other hand kept me intrigued the entire time I read it.  I was surprised by the connections between the two very different stories. The author kind of intertwined them in a way that gave Sweetly a very surprising plot and outcome. It was also neat to see the brother of the 'hunter', Sylas Reynolds, from Sisters Red in this story. While I think the author could have taken this retelling in a completely different direction, I enjoyed the small comparisons.

The romance in this book was subtle and endearing. There was no insta-love, thankfully, and no love triangles. It was refreshing to have small love plots intertwined that didn't make me roll my eyes or want to quit reading. 

Top Ten Tuesday #24

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read 

Meg Cabot
(I've been seeing her name in a lot of booktube videos, bookhauls, blogger posts, etc. but I truthfully don't even know what she writes about.)

Sarah Dessen
(One of my sisters has recommended her to me many times and I now own 3 of her books but still haven't read any.)

John Grisham
(Every book I've come across is about lawyers, etc and that really doesn't appeal to me. Let me know in the comments if you've read something from him that you think I would like .)

Jules Verne
(His stories are great from what I know from movies, etc. but I've just never gotten around to reading any.)

E.L. James
(I told myself I was never going to read Fifty Shades of Grey after watching a video of a read-through of the first 3 chapters. The writing seemed horrendous and I was loathe to read it. I might give it a try someday if I am utterly bored and have nothing better but probably not.)

James Patterson
I remember an old co-worker recommending him but he's another author that I know nothing about.)

Rainbow Rowell
(Everyone has been raving over her books lately. I have Eleanor & Park on my Kindle PC but I still haven't gotten around to reading it. Reading at my desktop is NOT comfortable.)

Clive Barker
(I love horror and own at least 2-3 of his books so I don't know why I haven't read anything from him yet.)

Jodi Picoult
(Another popular name but I haven't read her because I think she writes contemporary and I tend to stick to fantasy.)

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I'd love to see what authors you haven't read yet! Link to your TTT or list some in the comments and I'll let you know if I've read them or not and which book of theirs I would recommend the most. :)

February 2014 Wrap-Up

February 2014 Wrap-Up

I read 5 books this month as well as in January which really isn't very many. I was reading 8 books a month last year but then again, I burned myself out by August so maybe it's a good thing that I am pacing myself better this year. 

I finished the last of my library books about half way through the month and am now starting on books from my own shelves. 

The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison: The Wilderness Vol. 1

Goodreads | My Review

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Goodreads | My Review

The Companions by R.A. Salvatore

Goodreads | My Review

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Goodreads | My Review

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Goodreads | My Review

March TBR

(Disclaimer: I never stick to my TBR.)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A Little Princess by Frances H. Burnett

Night by Elie Weisel

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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January Wrap-Up

Stacking the Shelves
#20, #21, #22

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2014 Book Review: The Companions

The Companions
(The Sundering Book #1)

by

R.A. Salvatore

Genre:

Adult Fantasy

Published:
August 2013 by Wizards of the Coast

Source: 

borrowed from library

Pages: 

384

Literary Awards:

Goodreads Choice Nominee for Fantasy (2013)

My Rating:

4.5 stars

SYNOPSIS:

This latest installment in New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore's beloved fantasy saga, The Companions moves Salvatore's signature hero Drizzt into a new era of the Forgotten Realms. As Drizzt's fate hangs in the balance, he reflects on the lives of the trusted allies who stood by his side throughout his early life--the friend now known as the Companions of the Hall. Meanwhile, the first stirrings of the Sundering begin.  

MY THOUGHTS:

I am a big R.A. Salvatore fan, first of all, and read his first three series in highschool. While I haven't read ALL of his books leading up to this one, I have recently come to own more of his fantasy novels and will continue on where I left off or possibly begin re-reading the entire series. They are that good. I have always been hooked on his characters as well as his superb fight scenes.

The Companions, while still being about Salvatore's famous dark elf, Drizzt, is mostly about the friends he had throughout his life (and Salvatore's many series). In this novel, they are all at the ends of their lives, or have already died, but are brought together in a sort of spirit realm. They are then reincarnated or reborn into the future where they are dead but Drizzt still lives so that they can help him in some way. They still have their intelligence and memories but are stuck in the growing bodies of newborn babes and have to live out their first twenty years hiding that fact. It is impossible to hide a Dwarf King's battle skills or a young spellscarred sorceress's magic.
Bruenor, Regis, and Cattie-Brie grow up in new bodies, in new lives, to new parents, in new parts of the Realms but they know that they will need to travel back to Icewind Dale and the Spine of the World to find and save Drizzt.

It is impossible for me not to immediately love any new Drizzt story. They are all so adventurous and epic. They are books that I am easily lost in and never really want to come out of. The worldbuilding is magnificent, although I'd hope it would be when more than just one author has built it to what it is.
Forgotten Realms, from what I understand, was originally created as a sort of Dungeons and Dragons fantasy world for roleplayers but soon became quite a bit more than that. I have never played D&D except to be the 'Dungeon Master' for someone playing solo only once so I really don't know anything about the role it played in the Forgotten Realms world but I am glad for it because I love reading fantasy.

This new series, The Sundering, is 6 books long, all by different Forgotten Realms authors. From what I've deduced, The Companions is just a small glance into a bigger scheme in what is happening at this time in the Forgotten Realms 'Sundering' series. Instead of focusing on the little corner of the Realms that Salvatore's stories revolve around, we are looking at the entire fictional world.  I've only ever read one other book from another author on the Forgotten Realms (Ed Greenwood) so I don't know if I will be completely lost reading the other books in this series. Will 'The Godborn' (Book 2) be about characters from a Forgotten Realms series that I haven't read? And will it be the same for the 4 books after that? Do I need to catch up on all of these authors to understand what is happening in The Sundering? That is my biggest concern for finishing this series but I think I will enjoy it regardless. 

If you are fantasy lover and want to delve into the Forgotten Realms books, I highly recommend starting with R.A. Salvatore's 'Icewind Dale' trilogy. 

Stacking The Shelves #23

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by TYNGA'S REVIEWS that features the books we bought, borrowed, were gifted, and were given for review.

This haul is a week late. I was waiting on my my bookoutlet package and didn't have a chance to get it up in time. 

IN MY MAILBOX

I ordered books online for the first time this past week from BookOutlet and I was really excited to get them even though they came a few days late. 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

(I got this from the scratch & dent section for only $2.99 and it only had a very tiny rip in the bottom hand corner.
I'm so excited to read it!)

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

(Mary Downing Hahn was one of my favorite authors as a kid and I haven't read this one yet!)

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

 (I've always been very interested in Native American culture and love books based off of it.)

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz
(I have the 1st, 4th, & 5th book in this series so I thought I'd get the 2nd so I could start it soon. Just need the 3rd now.)
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
(One of my sisters' favorites and I've been looking for it for a long time.)
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier(I've heard good things about Marillier but I've never read any of her books. I love fantasy so I"m sure I'll love it.)

Seriously, that's the most new books I've bought for myself in a long time. It's really hard to break the habit of putting things in my cart already!

GIFTED 

My fiance bought me the Divergent Trilogy box by Veronica Roth set for Valentine's Day. I've already read them, though, so they will just be pretty additions to my shelves. 

Late Night Add-In

The Ghost Box by Catherine Fisher
(from NetGalley)
(I'm almost done with this one already. )

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What did you add to your shelves this week?