So Since it's the 31st of May, I have a month Review for the books I've read in May. I have read Five books, which to me, is saying something. Also this month I found a new love for Audible, which helps so much when I feel I need to do something but still want to listen to a book being read.
Ok so let's get into it:
The Five books I read were:
Where Am I Now by Mara Wilson
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
American War by Omar El Akkad
and
The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett
A weird mix I'm aware....
Let get right on to the reviews.
Where Am I Now by Mara Wilson, was publish September 13th 2016. The book is 259 pages long. However, this was the first Audio Book I got into from Audible, which runs about 7 hours and 22 minutes. If you've ever seen Mrs. Doubfire, or Matilda, you'll recognize this little girl on the cover, that is Mara Wilson. This book is an insight into her. How she got into child acting, why she got out of it, and basically her as a person and how child acting affected her. It did lull in some parts, and I immediately started crying when she mention Robin William's death. But over all an interesting read (am I still allowed to call it that if I just listened to it?) The audio book was nice in that it's Mara Wilson reading it to you. I don't know if they have other people read biography's but if they do, they should stop (I mean unless their dead....) Having Mara read this made her feel more real to me. I get this she's a real person, living and breathing and all. But it helps me connect that this character I've grown up with, it just what it is, a character and that the child actor is actually older than I am. It was a nice reality check. I would love to give halves on Goodreads, but I gave this book three stars, while the average Goodreads rating is 3.88. I don't think I'll be picking up a physical copy. But do plan on looking for more biography's through Audible.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman was published February 2nd 2017. 299 pages long, and takes 6 hours and 29 minutes on Audio. This was also an Audio I got into pretty quickly. My brother recommended it to me as he also did with Audible. Neil Gaiman himself reads the book to you (which if you haven't heard his voice before you should) and I love the fact he read his own book. Neil Gaiman, the only book I've read before this one was Coraline, and this is quite different. But still fun. Gaiman talks about why he enjoys Norse Mythology and gives references to two authors before him who actually told quite a bit of Norse Mythology, he just took the two and decided to tell some himself. Despite being a bunch of stories in one book, the stories, when put together feel like an adventure. You get the major events, how Thor got his hammer, how Odin became all knowing, you get the personality differences of Thor and Loki with a bit of other gods you may not have even heard before. It almost feels as though he's readying his book to you as a good night story, as he does the voices quite well to, much like a mother would when reading her child to sleep. It's quite nice. I gave this book five stars, I thought it was hilarious and informational as well as very adventurous. I do eventually want a physical coppy on my bookshelf to refer back to, as well as enjoy the cover art. The average Goodreads rating is 4.14 stars.
Unsure who Joan Walker is, but I love her narration. This was another audio book for me, and I absolutely adored it. It follows this 7 year old named Elsa, she's different, and her only friend is her 77 year old crazy grandmother. When I say crazy I mean, throwing feces at cops, shooting paintball guns at neighbors and throwing globes and head masters, type crazy... But when Elsa's Grandmother dies, she finds a series of letters apologizing to everyone in the house, and it's Elsa's job to make sure they get the letters and learning who her grandmother really was.
I fell is love with this story, I don't particularly like this cover of the book, but I want a physical copy on my shelf like last week. The reason why I don't like the cover is because I pictured Elsa differently than whats on the cover. And actually this book is written in a way that images kept creeping into my mind, creating a world for Elsa and her neighbors (who each have wonderfully different personalities). This would translate into a great animated movie. What was odd, because this book was translated (I believe from Finnish) there's a few things here and there that you can tell, but ultimately still a great book. Full of imagination and adventure, it's thrilling. Though there is bullying in this, which brought tears to my eyes, especially when no one really tries to help, and it made me wonder, when I have kids, how I can prevent this from happening to them, or how would I react if it did, how could I stop it. A very real moment in an otherwise sweet story. I gave this book five stars, and as I said, I need this cover. The average Goodreads rating is 4.02 stars.
American War by Omar El Akkad was published April 4th 2017. is 352 pages and is 12 hours and 13 minutes long through Audio. Dion Graham Narrates.
I actually read the physical copy of this book. And it took a bit. Not because it was a difficult read in text sense, but because I found it difficult in that this feels likely. This book is a futuristic dystopian of sorts. Oil is banned by use by the United States President, only for the Oil States to rebel creating Americas second civil war. The story follow Sarat, who's six when the war starts and claims her father life, the family has to move to a refugee camp where as she get older, becomes a prodigee to a mysterious functionary who turns Sarat into a deadly instrument of war. Her decisions can have deadly effects, not just on her, but on her family and the country.
This book got too real every now and then. but was still and intense and interesting read. The end however, I felt was rushed. While in the beginning it was just barely on the too slow side of things, I was able to connect with Sarat, was worried for her, was upset with her. But in the end she didn't want us to connect with her, and I believe we were supposed to be connecting with a family member. However this didn't happen, and I wish it did because I would have liked to know more towards the end. Not that no questions went unanswered, I just wanted to stay in the world a bit longer to see how they coped.
This book was actually an option for Book of the Month Club the month I decided to end my subscription. But I then found it in my local book store and managed to get $10 off due to a rewards system. The cover originally intrigued me, it's contrast, and the play that the barbed wire has with the font. However, I'm sure barbed wire is used in war still and will then, there was no real mention of it in this book and I actually thing the alternative cover works a bit better.
There is mention of the similar stars in the book, how they were done hastily and so were on even and lopsided (though this I feel is a little exadurated) I feel this cover fits more, but I dislike it, while the other cover I like but almost feel doesn't fit.
I gave this book four stars, (would more likely be 4.5) and the average rating is 3.98.
The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett was published November 3rd 2015. is 304 pages long and is not available as an audio book. After the last book I needed a light and fluffy read. I found this on book outlet, and thought it sounded cute. Pretty quick and easy read, where Beatrix Adams wants to be a medical illustrator, meets graffiti artist and vandal Jackson Vincent on the night bus in San Fransisco. Beatrix tries to get closer to Jack, and tries to find what makes him so wounded all the while trying to keep her own secrets from her family. The biggest issue I had with this book was the name Jackson Vincent. I hate it. It does not flow, it's not a pretty name. I got over Beatrix (nickname Bex) pretty quickly. Otherwise this wasn't a bad book. Like a said light and fluffy and with summer just starting seemed like a good summer read. I live in northern California and am familiar with San Francisco so the parts where they make fun of the weather or accurate. The fact the main character is an illustrator and wants to be a medical illustrator warms my heart. But her weird angst against color seemed odd to me, but sounds like something i would have done in high school. Towards the end though it did get very fairy tale like in that everything worked out just so. with little to nothing going wrong. so it seemed a little far fetched to me. Also haven't read and YA Contemporary in a while, so this just might be how they are? Over all not bad, gave 4 starts and average was 3.92.
Interesting fact about this book though, I remember a booktuber holder up a book called Night Owl and I kept trying to find it because it sounded really interesting but never could, until I saw the alternative covers for this book.
Meet the UK version of this book. Published August 13th 2015. I honestly kind of like this cover better. The fact that the US version is The Anatomical Shape of a Heart and is in the shape of a Valentine heart, bugs me to no end. We'll see if I can find a UK edition cover on sale somewhere.
Otherwise Jenn Bennett has another book out that I've been seeing that sounds fun called Alex Approximately, which came out in the US on April 4th this year, but again she has a UK version as well, which I like better that comes out in July that I may just wait for....
UK/NZ Edition
US Edition
I'm sorry, I just don't like people on the book covers, no matter how obscured they are with pool floaties.
Alright, I think that's all for now. Let me know if you've read any of these and your thoughts on them.
Until next time!
Litta
