Books I Read and Other Assorted Oddities

 I've read this book before when I was in junior high, and while I remember most of it, I read it before I started this blog. So, here I am, rereading it. Arthur Dent is a regular guy with an unremarkable life. He finds himself one morning, with bulldozers on his front lawn to knock his house down in order to construct a byway. As he's protesting this action by laying down in the mud in front of the truck, his friend Ford, shows up to take him to the pub. Ford tells Arthur that Earth is about to be destroyed and that he should drink as much alcohol as he can. They then hitchhike onto a Vogon destructor ship, and away their galactic adventure goes. This book is utterly absurd. I hadn't really picked up on that when I was in junior high - I always thought it was funny, but the absurdity was lost on my developing brain. I still very much enjoyed this book, and laughed at the ridiculous side notes from Adams as the narrator and the Hitchhiker's Guide .  The characters in th...

 I picked this one up with a bunch of others after the Secret Projects campaign, and it's been on my TBR forever. I read this as part of my Sanderson rotation spot. John finds himself in the middle of a forest, at night, with no knowledge of how he got there, who he is, or why he's there. He quickly finds himself over his head, fighting well-armed men with all kinds of physical augments that he doesn't have access to for some reason. The twist? John is in an alternate dimension of Medieval England. He's from the future, but somehow has to blend in with these people of the past. Can he stop the people from his own timeline who are trying to exploit it? I will say... This was not my favorite Sanderson. I didn't not like this book, but it wasn't my favorite. I love the witty title, and the main character was fine. The writing was pretty good as well. But unlike a lot of Brandon's other books, this book was too slow for me. First: the amnesia problem. I don'...

 This one was really popular in YA several years ago. I know... I'm always reading older books. But I was fascinated by the dark cover and spooky vibes. I picked this up as an audiobook and started it a couple of months ago. Lately, I've been really good and listening to books on my way home from work and while cleaning. Three sisters, divided as children. Each with a different power. Kat is a poisoner, capable of mixing power potions designed to bring death upon any enemy. Arsinoe is a naturalist, who can make plants bloom and summon an animal familiar. Mirabella is an elemental with the power to control the weather and fire. Two of the sisters are incredibly weak, and one very strong. After Beltane, comes the Year of Ascension, where two sisters must die, and one will become queen. Who will prove strong enough to survive? I had no expectations going into this book. I had no idea what it was about, or anything. I just knew that it was popular. I was hooked pretty much from the...

I went to an author event hosted in my town where Pearson was promoting this book. I bought it and started reading it, and it's take me quite a while to get through it. Bristol Keats has grown up on the run. Running from what? Her parents have never said, and yet they move frequently, live roughly, and drift from one small town to another. Until Bowskeep. And then, after her mother disappears, and her father dies, Bristol and her sisters are alone, poor, and unsure what to do next. Until Bristol is approached by someone who says they can make a deal with her. She meets the Fae king, Tyghan, and is whisked off on an adventure to save her father and find the truth. In all, this book had some issues... It wasn't terrible, the romance was OK, but some of the tropes were difficult to stomach. In all, though, I did finish it, which is more than I can say for some other novels that fit this genre. Let's start with characters. Bristol was likeable enough. She was fiercely independe...

 I joined a new book club of ladies in my neighborhood, and I'm super excited to read more and get to talk about it with people I don't know as well. I'm excited to have a place where I feel like I fit in. This month, we read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine  by Gail Honeyman. Eleanor is completely fine. She has a job (working in accounts), she has a flat (furnished with odd, mismatched pieces), she has her weekly phone calls with mummy, and vodka to numb. Some weekends, she doesn't use her voice from the time she leaves work on Friday until she goes back to work on Monday. Eleanor doesn't really have any friends, but she does have a timetabled life, the same schedule, and the same stores. That is, until she sees the singer. Eleanor just knows from this one glance that a relationship with this man is right around the corner. She does everything she can to find out everything about him, going so far as to find out where he lives and follow him on social media. Eve...

 Continuing the Inheritance Games  series, I was really excited going into this book. I've enjoyed all of the characters and the story, the riddles and puzzles, so I was so eager to continue in this series. The Final Gambit  raises the stakes of the series immensely. Toby has been kidnapped, and Avery must find him before it is too late. Each clue seems like a dead end, and when Toby's daughter shows up at the House, the stakes rise even further. Will they be able to find out who is behind it before it's too late? This book was intense from start to finish. Barnes made the stakes high with the abduction of Toby, and that intensity carries throughout the novel. I loved the added character development in this book, especially in Avery and Jameson. I also liked that as part of that development, we started to move past the love triangle that The Hawthorne Legacy  set up. It was good to see Grayson finally letting someone in, and watching his character fail in The Final G...

 This book was wildly popular when it came out, and both my dad and my sister liked it (well, my dad LOVED it, but that's a different story). I've been meaning to read it for ages, and finally got around to it. Wade Watts is a Gunter - fascinated with the contest set by eccentric video game creator James Halliday, which asks internet users to find his legendary egg. Gunters must dive into 80's pop and nerd culture to find the answer to the clue left by Halliday. In a world where everything revolves around the OASIS and virtual reality, this is Wade's one escape. As he discovers the secret to the hunt, suddenly Wade finds himself famous and embroiled in the center of a corporate scheme to control the internet. Can Wade open all the gates before the corporate goons (called Sixers)? This might be a hot take, and that's ok.... I found the book boring. I get the nostalgia factor for someone who grew up in the 80s (probably dates me but oh well). I got tired of the trivia...

 I thought the synopsis of this book sounded interesting, and I picked it up on Audible years and years ago. I finally got around to listening to it. It's short, and easy to get through. I realized when I started it that it is geared towards upper elementary/middle school readers. The Golden Orchard  by Flora Ahn follows the story of Maya. Maya's grandmother has come to live with her and her mother. Maya's grandmother has dementia, and struggles to remember where she is, and other details. However, she does remember recipes, and begins teaching Maya traditional Korean recipes. These cooking sessions have a twist: Maya realizes her grandmother can take her back in time to witness her memories. What will Maya learn from her grandmother? In general, I liked this book. I liked the characters, and the plot was sufficiently complex to keep my interest, and the characters were interesting. I liked what the author included and explained about Korean culture and food. I felt that th...

 I love the  Harry Potter books and films, and I saw that a few of my friends had read this book. One of my coworkers suggested that I should bump it up in my to-read list, and so I did. Tom Felton outlines his experiences getting into acting, growing up with all brothers, and his early family life. Felton details his experiences working on the Potter films, and the actors, crews, and directors he got to work with. He is so complimentary of these great people, and he makes it clear how privileged he felt to get to rub shoulders with all of the people he worked with. He then tells of experiences after Potter , and his eventual spiral into substance abuse and eventually how he ended up in rehab. I found Felton's story honest. He doesn't hide behind the mistakes he made, or what he ended up doing. I also found his account humble, and he takes great care to recognize all of the people he worked with. His tributes to these actors is sweet, complimentary, and really interesting. I l...

 I've wanted to read this book since it came out. Yes, I know that was a long time ago. Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship. He has no idea who he is, how he got there, or why he's there. All he knows is that he's alone. Two other members of his crew didn't survive the trip. Slowly, we learn that Grace is a scientist, sent on a suicide mission to save Earth from Astrophage, a lifeform whose invasion has made the sun dimmer. In a desperate bid to save humanity, a ship was launched to the Telceti system, the only star apparently unaffected. The hiccup? The Hail Mary isn't alone. I LOVED this book. I can't stop thinking about how much I loved this book. I know I didn't love Artemis (I liked it, but felt it had issues), but this book was totally different. I loved the non-linear / flashback method of the storytelling. We gradually find out small nuggets about Dr. Grace, his background as a teacher, his mission, what's happened back on Earth before he le...

 I've been following this case since 2020, when officers pleaded with Lori to return her children to Idaho. Since then, I've paid careful attention to new developments in the case. I also read Leah Sotille's book: When the Moon Turns to Blood . You can see my review for that HERE . This book was recommended to me on Audible, and I picked it up to see if it had any new insights on the case. Doomsday Mother  gives a pretty thorough background on both Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell. Lori grew up in California to well-off (but anti-government) parents. They were supposedly devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lori's marriages ended in disaster. Chad grew up in Springville, Utah. He served a mission for the Church and then worked at the Springville cemetery, where he met Tami. The two were eventually married and started their family. After a near-death experience, Chad began writing about it and the end times. He ultimately claimed to be h...

It was summer 2023. I remember coming across breaking news headlines about two children who were found in Ivins, Utah, in deplorable condition. These two children had been abused by their mother, Ruby Franke, and her friend, Jodi Hildebrant. The children were malnourished and had been forced to do horrible punishments, outside in the stifling Utah desert heat in the summer. This has been one of the major child abuse cases to come out of Utah in recent years, a string of others not far behind. It's a case that I remember distinctly following. One of my coworkers recommended this book to me, and I'll admit, I was hesitant at first. Sometimes people who experience this kind of abuse and trauma become extremely anti, and I just wasn't sure I wanted to read about that. However, as I dove into Shari Franke's book, I found her to be the opposite. That impressed me, and just added to what I liked about this book. In The House of My Mother , Shari Franke (Ruby Franke's oldes...

 I picked this book up on Audible because it sounded interesting and didn't disappoint. A Woman of No Importance  describes the incredible true story of Virginia Hall, an American woman who served as an SOE spy during World War II. Virginia, rejecting her family's expectations of a highly advantageous marriage, pursued a career in the State Department. She dreamed of serving her country as an ambassador or in other roles high within the department. Blocked at every turn because of her gender, and then later, as a result of her amputated leg, she left the State Department at the start of World War II. She served as an ambulance driver as the German army advanced across the Maginot Line and into France. From there, Virginia was recruited to SOE - the Special Operations Executive. This secret branch of the British government was formed to conduct clandestine operations in Nazi-controlled territory. Virginia was sent to France as a journalist and spy. She made contacts in the Vich...

 I inherited a bunch of upper elementary books from my mother-in-law when she left teaching, and it's been my goal to read some of them so I can make recommendations to my own kids. I keep thinking these little books will only take me an afternoon, but here I am two months after starting it finally finishing it. Moose Flannagan lives on Alcatraz Island. He's not a prisoner, but his father works at the prison, and so the family lives right there on the Island next to the cons. Moose's sister has been ten for five years in a row. They've tried to find help for her mental condition, and their last choice is a school for similar children. The family has relocated to Alcatraz to be able to afford the school. Moose meets the other Alcatraz children, including the willey Piper, the daughter of the warden. Piper hatches many schemes, one of which is to get the kids at school to pay them to get their clothes laundered by the cons including the infamous Al Capone. Can they actual...

 I feel a little like I read this out of order a bit. I picked up The Hobbit  after I started The Lord of the Rings  trilogy because I didn't realize that it too had been recorded by Andy Serkis. I thoroughly enjoyed his reading of the novel. I had never read The Hobbit . I had only seen the Peter Jackson films. While I loved The Lord of the Rings , I found myself loving The Hobbit  films less. From the community reactions to those films when they came out, I knew that Jackson had embellished the story. I finally dug into the novel to find out how much. Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit: respectable, normal, and non-adventerous. Gandalf is a wizard who decides to change all of that. After meeting Bilbo in the Shire one morning, Gandalf secretly invites 12 dwarves to come to Bilbo's house. Once there, they discuss plans to reclaim their ancestral home: The Lonely Mountain. The Mountain is now home to Smaug, the dragon, and they need a burgler to help them find the dragon's we...

 I finally finished The Lord of the Rings  trilogy! I listened to this one as an audiobook as well, and loved Andy Serkis as the narrator for this novel. The Return of the King  finishes the story of the One Ring. Frodo and Sam continue their perilous journey to Mordor. Gollum leads them into the lair of Shelob, the ancient, giant spider. There, Sam narrowly escapes, while Frodo is pierced by her venom. Thinking him dead, Sam vows to continue Frodo's mission on his own. He takes some of Frodo's belongings, including the Ring. He watches as Frodo is taken further into Mordor by Orcs who proclaim that he isn't dead. Sam rescues Frodo, and they proceed on through Mordor. They reach the volcano, where the ring is destroyed. Meanwhile, their other friends are defending Middle Earth from the onslaught of Mordor. Minas Tirith is attacked, and Gandalf works to protect it. He is joined by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli with the army from Rohan. Once the Ring is destroyed and Mordor c...

 I'd heard about the Netflix series that adapted this, and many of my coworkers have read it. I also love World War II stories (if you can't tell by my historical fiction choices, haha). This book also won a major prize, and I was curious about the story. All the Light We Cannot See  follows two characters in two timelines. It bounces from the past to the present between Marie-Laure and Werner. Marie-Laure is a young girl who lives in Paris with her father. Her father works for the Museum of Natural History in Paris. As the Germans close in on Paris at the start of World War II, Daniel (Marie-Laure's father) is entrusted with one of the museum's priceless treasures: the Sea of Flames. He and Marie-Laure flee Paris to the home of Daniel's wealthy uncle, where they stay until the city is bombed. Werner is a poor German orphan in a mining town. He is particularly gifted with mathematics and engineering, and is given the opportunity to go to a prestigious Nazi school. H...

 I've read both of the other books in this series and loved both of them. I was excited to get a story that was completely about Julie. The Pearl Thief  takes place about five or six years before the start of Code Name Verity  when Julie is just a teenager. The book starts with her arriving at her grandparent's Scottish castle for holiday sooner than anticipated. After visiting an old friend in the village near the estate, Julie is knocked unconscious by the river that runs on the estate, a river famous for its pearls. After she is discovered and taken to the hospital, Julie is determined to find out who hit her and solve the mystery of the missing pearls from the estate. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I love Julie and her character. I loved her in Code Name Verity , and her voice is sarcastic, witty, and intelligent. All of that carries into The Pearl Thief  as well, with an added sense of aristocracy that the younger Julie obviously harbored. The plot was...

 I finally finished Mistborn era 2! I loved this series so much (though I think I love era 1 the most still). This story was an incredible addition to Scadrial's story. In this final installment, we pick up in Elendel at a time of great uncertainty. The outer cities are threatening war, their tentative alliance with the Malwish is falling apart over the Bands of Mourning, and Wax is still in the middle of all of it. Now serving on the senate, Wax is desperately trying to help the Elendel nobles maintain peace while hunting the Set. Unsuccessful thus far at locating his sister, the leader of the Set, Wax is still trying to uncover her plans. Can Wax, Marasi, and Wayne uncover the Set's plans before the invasion of Trell crushes Scadrial? This was a fitting conclusion for Mistborn's second era. I loved the character development we saw in each of the characters: Marasi, Wax, Wayne, and Steris. I love the involvement of some era 1 characters (one who I am not going to spoil), a...

  A while ago, I read David and Goliath  by Malcolm Gladwell and found it interesting. As my sister was preparing for the AP exam last year, she read this and then recommended it to me. The Tipping Point  by Malcolm Gladwell explores how "epidemics" start and spread. Gladwell's analysis of how people can influence trends follows several different types of people and their roles in epidemics. As with all of Gladwell's work, I like the way he structures his argument and utilizes evidence. He has a very specific structure to his work that I find particularly helpful. His writing is clear, and I feel like I always know what the point of his evidence is. Like I tell my students, he doesn't leave things up to my interpretation as the reader. This structure does bother some readers because it gets a little repetitive by the end, and I also feel that Gladwell's use of that structure fizzles at the end. Sometimes I got lost in the evidence a bit as well. This was an in...