Category: Reviews

Reading Stephen King (for the last time?)

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Happy October, Readers!

I have a post from a while back all about my thoughts on Stephen King. Long story short – we simply do not get on. I find his books to be easy to get into, but his writing is – though good – just not a good fit for me. I tend to enjoy ‘cozier’ writing and stories, and that is simply not King’s style. I have read Pet Semetary, It, On Writing, The Long Walk, and some of his short stories. And now I can add The Institute to that list as well.

The Institute has been on my reading list for a few years now, ever since I bought it for my mom. However, I did not fully enjoy my time with it. It’s not that the story was bad or that there was anything wrong with the writing. I just felt disconnected from the story. Like, I didn’t really care all that much. And the things that happen in the book were dark and unsettling – very much the norm for Stephen King.

The story follows kids who are part of an institute that performs horrible tests on kids who are telepathic or have telekinesis. Truly the tests are upsetting to read about. I did read this book quicker than I ever expected, and I owe that to King’s easy writing style. But once I reached the half way point I was very ready for the book to just be over.

I do think King is great at unsettling the reader, and his writing is easy to get into, but I don’t find his books compelling enough for me. I don’t often care for his characters, and I do think that his stories tend to be more character-focused and slow paced. So if I’m not invested in the journeys of the characters than I’m not invested in the story. I do find it strange that I feel that way because King does include a lot of minor details to help create complex characters. Perhaps my problem is that I just don’t find many of them likeable enough. I want likeable characters I can root for – or I want characters that I love to hate.

With the Institute, the main characters fell flat for me. And the villains of the story were just so horrible that I couldn’t stand scenes that included them.

I give this book a 3-star rating, and honestly, I think this experience has solidified that King is just not for me. That being said, I did read something else by Stephen King this week. My mom had read Mile 81 by him and said if I wanted something short and quick to read then she’d recommend that.

Mile 81 is a short story. I’m not going to say what it’s about because it is so short and strange that I don’t want to give the plot away. I will, however, say that this story really helped me realize that I don’t enjoy reading the inner dialogue of kids within King’s stories. They often feel older than their ages, like in Mile 81 – there’s a 6-year girl and she uses a word I was not expecting her to use. That moment took me out of the story a bit. That seemed unnecessary to me. I think that’s a big part of why I didn’t enjoy The Institute as well.

I did have other King books that I’ve wanted to read, but now I’m unsure if I still do. Perhaps it’s time I give up in his books? I’m questioning what it is that’s making me want to read and enjoy Stephen King when I repeatedly don’t enjoy his books. I guess it comes down to his popularity and just feeling like I’m missing out on something. As a tentative horror fan, it does seem slightly wrong to not enjoy Stephen King, but what’s a girl to do? If I’m not a fan then I’m not a fan. And really, he doesn’t need me – he’s plenty popular enough without me.

A TudorTember Wrap-Up

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If you don’t know, TudorTember is a month-long event created by a couple of people on Youtube that celebrates Tudor history during the month of September. I decided to participate this year, and it went about as I expected. I did complete a book (yay!) and I watched a movie.

The book I finished was Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. This is a fictional account of the life of Lady Jane Grey. I did enjoy this book a lot. It was informative and I liked learning more about Lady Jane Grey – I felt for her. However, I find it very hard to get into books set during the Tudor period. I always seem to feel disconnected from the characters. I might enjoy the book, but I’m never fully emotionally invested in the story. That is exactly how I felt about Innocent Traitor. The ending made me sad, for sure, but I wasn’t attached to the characters or the story. Would I recommend it? Yes, especially if you enjoy slow-paced, character-driven stories with heavy political themes.

As for the other book I was reading this month, I made very little progress. Mary, Queen of Scots & the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir is a chunky book, and it’s going to take quite some time for me to get through it (if I ever do…). I love learning about Mary, Queen of Scots, so I’m enjoying this book, but it is nonfiction. I struggle with finishing nonfiction books.

Finally, the movie I watched was The Other Boleyn Girl. I have complicated feelings about this movie. On the one hand it was very compelling the entire way through. On the other hand it was aggravating. If this was a completely fictional story with made-up characters, I may have liked it more. But because it’s based on historical figures, I was often irritated by how they portrayed particular people – there were so many things I just did not find believable. Now usually I don’t have too much of a problem with suspending my disbelief when it comes to historical fiction – I mean, I love the show Reign – but for some reason this movie was just too much for me. I’m glad I finally watched it, but it’s not one I would recommend 😦

And that’s a wrap! This month I learned that maybe Tudor historical fiction is just not for me. I do have two other fictional Tudor books on my shelf (also by Alison Weir) that I want to try, but if I have the same experience with those books, that may solidify my opinion that I should stick to watching documentaries about Tudor history instead of trying to read books about it. But let me know if you have any other author recommendations.

Recent Dark & Twisty Reads

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Reading has been going really well for me lately. I’ve been devouring books, which is great, but also not great because I have been neglecting other things (like writing). With it being October, I just have a strong pull to read gothic and creepy books. Today I am sharing a few of the dark and twisty books I’ve read recently.

Madam by Phoebe Wynne – If you want an atmospheric book, this is the one for you. It takes place in an all-girls boarding school on a Scottish cliff, and the author does a great job evoking the feeling of being there. The story’s a bit of a slow burn, but worth the buildup – there are some truly uncomfortable and dark things happening within these walls. I listened to this via audio and I think the narrator did a fantastic job at capturing the tone of the story.

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton – I had come across this book once upon a time and thought it sounded interesting, but what made me read it recently is the fact that it has the same narrator as Madam. I was so impressed by her narration that I wanted to see what else she did. Alas, I picked The Craftsman as my next read, and oh was it good. This is another very atmospheric story. It’s creepy and unsettling. This one follows a detective investigating the disappearance and murder of teenagers in a small English town. When one of the teenagers is found inside a casket, apparently buried alive, the investigation takes a dark turn. I thought this story was cleverly told, and I am so glad to listened to it. I plan on reading other books by this author.

Ask No Questions by Claire Allen – As a Derry Girls fangirl, I picked this book up mostly because it’s set in Derry. But once I started reading it I quickly became engrossed in the story. This book involves the murder of a child and a journalist discovering that maybe there is more to the story than was originally thought. This takes place near Halloween, which I loved. The story is fast-paced and most of the characters seem suspicious. I will say that the protagonist did annoy me a bit toward the end of the book, but other than that this was a very solid read.

Final Girls by Riley Sager – I FINALLY read this book! Now I can say that I’ve read Riley Sager. This book follows Quincy, a ‘final girl’ who believes she has moved past the traumatic event of her past when her friends were murdered. But when she finally meets one of the other final girls, Quincy begins to question everything about herself and her past. Now this book I did enjoy, but I didn’t like it as much as I hoped I would. It felt a bit slow, and it lacked the atmosphere and creepiness I hoped for. When it comes to dark books I just love having a strong sense of place within the story. So with final Girls, it was more of a preference problem on my part. It did have quite a few twists that I was not expecting, but overall it fell a bit flat for me.

The Sun & Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

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As someone who never reads poetry, this book was one I never gave much thought to – it just did not appeal to me. It was only recently that my interest was piqued thanks to a podcast. And while this book did not amaze me, the author did write many beautiful sentiments that gave me pause.

The author shares such personal thoughts, and I credit her for her bravery and vulnerability. She discusses heartbreak, grief, growth, and survival. There were many things I could not connect with, nor do I agree with her politics. However, the messages I did connect with were simple but powerful. It was like she saw into my soul and knew how to perfectly form those feelings into words.

My favorite poem was this:

“what if there isn’t enough time to give her what she deserves / do you think if i begged the sky hard enough my mother’s soul would return to me as my daughter so i can give her the comfort she gave me my whole life.”

I am glad I gave this book a chance, for I found a bit of magic in it.

Also, I did read her first poetry collection, Milk & Honey, and while I did appreciate her message behind it, I did not personally gain much from it.

Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker

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With the stress of school, life, and world events, I haven’t been reading much at all. I’ve started a couple books here and there, but nothing has been able to keep my attention. However, Forever Wild was released on December 1st (a book I’ve have been eagerly waiting for) and I was instantly hooked as soon as I read the first line.

If you are unfamiliar with the Simple Wild series by K.A. Tucker, this is a novella following the second book. The series takes place in Alaska and the first book, The Simple Wild, follows a woman named Calla who reconnects with her estranged father and meets a man named Jonah. It’s a story about family, second chances, and falling in love. I’d never read a book that took place in Alaska until this series, and for me that just adds extra magic to the story.

Forever Wild picks up after the second book. It’s almost Christmas and Jonah and Calla are expecting their family to come stay with them. As can be expected, the holidays + family = a lot of tension, especially since Jonah does not get along with his stepdad. Even with the tension, I would say there is minor conflict in this book, which I really liked. Readers get to catch up with characters and see how they are doing. Roy plays a major role in this book, which made me glad. I really like getting to know him better.

I am not going to go into more detail on the plot, but just know that this addition has the same charm as the other books in the series. It made me laugh numerous times, I cried, and the ending left me smiling. It was so nice to be back with these characters.

The next book in the series will follow Dr. Marie. I’m sad not to be focused on Jonah and Calla anymore, but I am excited about learning more about Marie, and getting updates on Jonah and Calla, too.

Queen of Tomorrow by Sherry D. Ficklin

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Queen of Tomorrow is the second book in the Stolen Empire series by Sherry D. Ficklin. The series follows a young Catherine the Great on her journey to the throne of Russia. This is a series meant for fun and not for historical accuracy, so don’t pick this up if that bothers you because the author takes A LOT of liberties.

Since this is the second book in a series this review will be vague to avoid spoilers.

I went into the first book – Queen of Someday – with a lot of excitement because I want to read more books set in Russia, and I was expecting a really great forbidden romance. The romance was a major disappointment in the first book and it was still not my favorite thing in the second. The biggest problem for me has been that the romance happens too quickly and there is no tension or buildup. I want a Celaena/Chaol romance from Throne of Glass a.k.a. a super slow burn with a lot of sexual tension.

However, I did like the second book more because I liked the plot better, and I think Catherine had good development in this one. She goes through terrible stuff, but she doesn’t give up. She remains strong even when she feels about to break.

I would recommend this series because it’s short, fast-paced, and addicting. I am looking forward to book 3!

Review: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Published on by Danielle3 Comments

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The Queen of Someday is a fictionalized account of Catherine the Great. I knew nothing about Catherine prior to reading this, but I have done some research since and think she is fascinating. The summary of the book says it is perfect for fans of the TV shows Reign, which I love and would have to agree with.

This book is not perfect, but I do think it is a good setup for what I am hoping is a great series.

The story follows Sophie – who later becomes known as Catherine – who is the princess of Prussia. She travels to Russia in the hopes of winning the heart of Empress Elizabeth and her nephew Peter who is to become the next king of Russia. She does not count on falling in love with someone else.

The book started out strong and I was hooked. Sophie is so cool and courageous in the first chapter. I knew I was going to like her. I found the first few chapters really compelling as I waited to see who the love interest was going to be, though I already had my choice picked out. However, things went downhill quickly.

The story went in an unexpected direction and the romance was not what I was expecting or wanted. The romance was not believable because it happened too quickly and did not have much development at all. The two characters suddenly loved each other and I did not really understand why.

Also, there were interactions between two characters that confused me and seemed unrealistic for the times. However, I am not familiar with the societal norms of Russia during that time, or it could have just been the author taking liberties. I often didn’t understand Sophie’s mind or motivations during these interactions.

The book is short, which might be why it didn’t work that well for me since there wasn’t much time for a relationship to fully develop. I do think the book could have worked, despite its size, if the story had gone in a different direction.

My opinion might change after I read the second book, which I am very excited about! The ending of book one did bring my opinion back up and I am hoping book two brings more drama and a better romance.

There are so many specific things I want to say about this book, but I don’t want to give spoilers so I am going to leave it at that.

I would recommend this book if you like: forbidden & royal romances, the TV show Reign, and fictionalized accounts of historical figures.

I would not recommend this book if you dislike: insta-love, love triangles/squares, historical inaccuracies. 

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

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“Hope? Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”  -Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Daughter of Smoke & Bone is the first book in a trilogy by Laini Taylor. It follows a girl named Karou who lives two different lives. One life consists of Prague, art school, and her best friend Zuzanna. Her other life is a swirl  of secret portals, teeth, and magic. This is a book best gone into with a vague idea of what it is about, so I am keeping this review vague.

This is a story of forbidden love and war, but at its core it is about hope. Laini Taylor has crafted a beautiful, unique world with a message of the importance of hope, and love.

If you enjoyed her other series, Strange the Dreamer, I think you will appreciate that this series also follows people who dare to dream of a better world. The characters in this story are interesting, funny, and real. They don’t always live their truth, whether out of duty or pain, and that is what makes them fascinating. Razgut, however, is truly creepy and repulsive.

This was a re-read for me and I do not plan to review the other books in the series except for the novella, but I will say that the whole series is fantastic, and the world gets bigger with each book. Daughter of Smoke & Bone is probably my favorite because I prefer fantasy that is on a smaller scale and contains fewer characters. However, this is the series that really got me into fantasy. Taylor’s books are slower paced and focus more on characters than action. Her worlds are unlike anything I’ve read and her writing is lovely. I can’t recommend this series enough.

Review: Wild at Heart by K.A Tucker

Published on by Danielle2 Comments

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Wild at Heart is the sequel to The Simple Wild. It follows Calla and Jonah as they navigate their lives together in Alaska after Calla decides to join him there. This sequel possessed so many of the elements I loved about The Simple Wild i.e. the descriptions of Alaska, the exploration of various types of relationships, and the banter between the main characters.

One thing that did differ for me was that Alaska felt like a dream when I read The Simple Wild; like, I was almost convinced I could live there. Wild at Heart was more of a reality check. Sure, there were still things that made me long for Alaska (and I still would love to visit), but the sequel showed the reality of living there, and I would not be able to handle it.

Of course, I loved witnessing Calla trying to adjust to her new life and find her place within it; it’s something most of us can certainly relate to, except for the trying to scare off bears and moose on a daily basis. Calla grew a lot during the course of the novel and her relationship with Jonah grew as well.

I found this book to be a satisfying sequel. I gave it the same rating as the first book at 4.5 stars. I was sad when it was over, but it left me with that same warm fuzzy feeling as the first one.

A Magical Literary Adventure | Pages & Co. #1 by Anna James

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The second I started reading this book I could tell I was going to love it. The writing is beautiful and warm. This is the perfect book for a cozy night in and a huge cup of hot chocolate.

The story follows an 11-year-old girl named Tilly Pages. She lives above her grandparents bookshop and has grown up with a love for books. When strange people begin to pop up in the bookshop, Tilly begins to sense that something more is going on here. And she is right. Tilly learns that she has the ability to wander into her favorite books, and so her adventure begins.

Tilly & the Bookwanderers is such a fun story! This is exactly the kind of middle grade I love to read. The characters are wonderful and I love that Tilly has a close relationship with her grandparents. They share the same passion for books, which is something I would have loved to have as a child. Tilly also becomes friends with a boy named Oskar and I can’t wait to see their friendship grow and develop over the course of the trilogy.

This books was full of heartwarming moments, twists and turns, and so many beautiful quotes; there were many lines I wanted to highlight. It has become one of my favorite books of all time and is perfect for readers who love books about books.

Also, I wanted to mention this podcast episode of Books with Jen that features Anna James. She talks about her book (no spoilers) and witing. It is a beautiful interview.