Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Title: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
Author: J.K. Rowling
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Review:

I love plays in written form and I love J.K. Rowling, could this book get any better?

To be honest, I'm not sure how to review this book.  The characters are brilliant, I adore Newt and I feel such pain for Credence.  I love how it's not only set in a different wizarding community than Harry Potter, but it's set in an era of the United States that is one of my favorites.

My least favorite part of this entire story is the scene where the Obscurus attacks the party and kills the [senator's?] son (I can't remember exactly who he was anymore).  I'm not sure why I didn't like that part, but I didn't.

On the other hand, my favorite part is every time Newt spends in his case.  I love how so many worlds and so many climates and so many creatures are in such an unassuming place.  It was beautifully described and I wanted to climb into the book and feel it all myself.

I know they're continuing the movies with this series, but I so wish J.K. Rowling would also continue the books.

Booktube-A-Thon Wrap-up

Stop the presses everyone! I actually participated in a read-a-thon and got through most of it!

Though I know I am not on Booktube, I watch many channels on there and decided to take part in the annual Booktube-A-Thon.  There were seven categories to read 7 books in seven days - I managed 6 of these!

Challenge 1 - Read a book with a person on the cover

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Rating 5/5

Challenge 2 - Read a hyped book

Title: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli

Rating: 5/5

Challenge fulfillment: This was so very hyped when it came out by every reviewer I know and I finally got to it - it was worth the hype

Challenge 3 - Finish a book in one day

Title: The Little Prince

Author:  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,

Rating: 5/5

Challenge 4 - Read a book about a character that is very different from you

Title: A Long Walk to Water

Author: Linda Sue Park

Rating: 5/5

Challenge fulfillment: I do no live in a war-torn country, am free to go to school, and have fresh water on demand

Challenge 5 - Finish a book completely outdoors

Title: Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies

Author: Greg Rucka

Rating: 4/5

Challenge 6 - Read a book you bought because of the cover

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

Rating: Unknown

This is the one I haven't finished, but isn't the cover beautiful? Currently buddy-reading it with Harleen from Little Bookworm Reviews

Challenge 7 - Read seven books

Title: Openly, Honestly

Author: Bill Konigsberg

Rating: 2/5

Loved the first book, but I think it's been too long since I read it so this novella just didn't do anything for me

2016 Wrap-Up

2016

Top 3 Favorites

The Martian by Andy Weir

One with You by Sylvia Day

The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Worst 3 Read

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Freedom by Jaycee Dugard

The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan

I Shall Be Back!

Hello all!

It's been a while since I posted anything of real substance on here.  I have been in yet another reading slump, and it is painful.  However, I have seen the light again and am reading!  It took an old Lurlene McDaniel book and the new Harry Potter book, but I'm getting my groove back.

Regarding the Harry Potter book:

Yeah, just finished it about 20 minutes ago and I loved every second of it.  I WILL NOT SPOIL IT YET.  I will be posting a review, but I'm going to wait until next week to give more people a chance to read and digest it, and that review will most definitely have spoilers.

For now, expect a review of the Lurlene McDaniel book I recently read in a few days and hopefully I'll be getting myself back on track for blogging!

See ya soon!

June Wrap-Up & July TBR

June:

So in June I read many small books and travel books.  I would list them here, but I honestly don't feel like it.  I will say that I was mostly disappointed in the YA books I read this month though, so hopefully next month will be better.

Moving on to July...

July:

I want to read a classic this month!!  In addition to that, these three books are on my radar:

Up and Down (Loving Piper #1) by Charlotte Lockheart

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Any suggestions for a classic to read?  I haven't read many.

Review: A Time to Dance

Title:  A Time to Dance
Author:  Padma Venkatraman
Rating:  5/5

Summary:

Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit.

Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.

Review:

I LOVE novels in verse!!!  I extra love cultural YA books!  So this was a double win all around.

Veda is an amazing character who is put through a tragic accident.  Her spirit, however, is unbreakable and she comes back stronger than before.  Her journey to discover how to dance from her heart, and from Shiva again is profound and moving.

Govinda is an amazing supporting character about him trying to break free of society's and his family's expectations.

My favorite characer though was Paati, Veda's grandmother, whose unwavering spirit and faith carried Veda as well as us as readers.  I came very close to crying for her.

Scavenger Hunt Book Tag

Hey all!  Today I found a fun new thing that has been circulating through the book blogger universe.  I originally found it on Always Me, after that I followed it back to Book Coma, then to Wonderless Reviews, then back to Ravenclaw Book Club, and finally to All The Stories Are True.  My search stopped at the last one because it then led me to a blog that wasn't in English.  So moral of this, I have no idea who started this scavenger hunt, but I'm continuing it!

Before we begin, I tag Little Bookworm Reviews to continue the chain!

Rules are simple, find the books on your personal shelves that match the criteria.  Post pictures of the books themselves (preferably over a goodreads picture) so that we know you really own it!  Now let the games begin!

1.  Find a book with the letter "z" in its title or the author's name

Six Graves to Munic by Mario Puzo

2.  Find me a classic

Good old Dracula!

3.  Find the oldest book on your shelves

 

1929 copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

4.  Find a book with a key on its cover

Love this series!

5.  Find something that isn't a book on your shelves

Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas

6.  Find a book with an animal on the cover

Teeny-Tiny Elephant!

7.  Find a book with a girl on its cover

I LOVE this book!

8.  Find a non-YA book

Woo-Hoo Walking Dead!!!

9.  Find a book with stars on its cover

You can mostly see the moon, but the stars are the little dots

10.  Find a book with golden letters

Yay gold!

I liked doing this challenge!  Pick it up if you want to do it.

Stacking the Shelves (#2)

I bought books this week!  Even though there was really no money in my budget for them, but oh well.

Bought:

  

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

Tampa & St. Petersburg by Moon Handbooks

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

From the library:

 

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore

What have you added to your shelves lately?

Top Ten Books That Deal With Tough Issues

Hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

So it's a freebie week according to The Broke & The Bookish!  I chose to go back in their archives and take a topic I missed a long time ago because I wasn't blogging back then!

Top Ten Books That Deal With Tough Issues

1.  It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - This is the first book I ever got out of my high school library and actually liked.  The main character depressed and anxious and attempts suicide.  He goes to a mental hospital and the map on the head is symbolic about how he sees people and himself.

2.  The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Set back when women were consiered to be hysterical and locked away when they exibited signs of mental illness.  The "cure" actually makes the main character quite mad.

3.  When Jeff Comes Home by Catherine Atkins - The main character was abducted at a highway reststop when he was young.  He was inexplicably returned by his captor years later, but the captor doesn't leave.  Jeff has a pretty strong case of stockholm syndrome.

4.  Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - Over the course of ninteen minutes, and this book, we follow several chacters through a school shooting as well as the aftermath.

5.  Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - This author though, I love her.  Alice lives with her captor for years, learns to bend to his will.  Stockholm syndrome at its finest.  I wish I could add more, but it's been forever since I read this.

6.  Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas - The main character lives in a physically abusive home, but her father doesn't hit her, only her siblings.  Anke is ignored, she doesn't exist.  But eventually she finds her voice.

7.  Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Hannah commits suicide and leaves casset recordings of the 13 reasons why she did.  These recordings go to the people who contributed to her decision, especially Clay.

8.  George by Alex Gino - Transgender elementary (or middle, I can't remember) school kid.  George wants to be a girl, but no one except his new best friend will listen to him.  He's even banned from being the main character in the school play, Charlotte's Web.

9.  Room by Emma Donoghue - Main character was born to a woman who was abducted by his father years ago.  He has only ever known the "room" (shed they live in).  Eventually though they escape and the real world is revealed.

10.  grl2grl by Julie Anne Peters - A collection of short stories about girls in "non-traditional" lives.  Covers the LGBT community mostly.  Some stories are more interesting than others.