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a novel toybox

~ a blog full of my literary playthings.

Tag Archives: books

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[review] Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1) by Lenore Appelhans (2013)

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Tags

afterlife, angels, book review, books, contemporary, death, fantasy, fiction, paranormal, religion, review, sci-fi, young adult, young adult fiction

Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)
Level 2 (2013)
by Lenore Appelhans
Hardcover Edition
Publication Date: January 15th, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Buy a copy via Amazon.
Synopsis from Goodreads.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost-family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian-a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life-comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

My Thoughts:
Level 2’s plot stands out as one of the most intriguing ones I’ve come across recently, with a blend of sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary genres. In Level 2, the afterlife is where you rewatch memories in hi-tech pods, either your own or “rented” from others with credits. I’m drawn to creative world-building, and Level 2 has that. At least the beginning traces of one. Unfortunately, Level 2 desperately needs at least a hundred more pages to flesh out ideas, plot, setting, and characters. I have no idea how I read 288 pages without a solid grasp of any of these elements. One of the things that kept me reading was the fast pacing, but even that fell apart towards the end and felt like a cheap gimmick.

Faux “Suspense”:
It doesn’t take long to realize that Level 2 LOVES its cliffhanger chapter endings–to the point it’s overused. It was like the author made a list of all the plot twists she could have and started inserting them to the end of her chapters. Scene changes don’t signal a chapter break, instead plot twists or big revelations do. You know a chapter is ends when characters suddenly go missing, or something catches on fire. I understand that Appelhans wanted to retain the reader’s attention by not giving them a chance to break away from the story, but it felt like a gimmick. I love a good twist any day, but I grew tired of them in Level 2 because they were so abundant, as if the author didn’t have confidence in her story. It was cheap plot twists not characters that carried the story.
Continue reading →

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Book Reviews, Grade C, Young Adult

≈ 2 Comments

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Spring 2013 Mini-Reviews: Because Sometimes I Forget Too Much To Write A Full Review

29 Wednesday May 2013

Tags

adult, book, books, literature, young adult


All these books I read during the the 2013 Spring semester in the midst of midterms, finals, exams, presentations, and a deluge of art projects. These books don’t have their own post, not because they’re so bland (though a few do fall under that category) that they don’t warrant one, but mostly because I felt all has been said already. Or I was too lazy. Never mind, it’s the laziness.

How Literature Saved My Life by David Shields (2013)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: It’s been awhile since I picked up a non-fiction title not for academic purposes–and with a title like that, how can any book lover resist? With that said, David Shield’s How Literature Saved My Life by David Shields was a miss for me mostly due to the way the book is structured like a list of disparate thoughts and anecdotes (he describes his sex-life pretty often.) I have to applaud Shield’s unflinching candor. There are also A LOT of references to movies and books (there’s a part of the book where he lists fifty of his favorite books, which sufficed in making me yawn once or twice.) Although there are some insightful moments, this book makes me feel my brain isn’t smart enough to comprehend Shield’s thought process. Or maybe it really doesn’t make sense. I don’t know.
Rating: C-

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: I’m not sure how to “review” children’s books at all. But this book made me a fan of Oliver Jeffers–not only for his fun, quirky stories–but also his art style. I WANT TO DO THAT KIND OF COLLAGING. After receiving This Moose Belongs to Me in the mail because of a giveaway, I was set on giving it away for Christmas (probably to someone under 10.) But after I read it, I totally had to keep it for myself. Largely due to the art style. Very beautiful and inspirational. I currently have a print and poster of Jeffers on my bedroom wall.
Rating: B

The Last Dragonslayer (The Last Dragonslayer, #1) by Jasper Fforde (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: A story about a world where magic is now commonplace–but only used for trivial tasks like pest-control and plumbing. As my first Jasper Fforde book, I really wanted to like this one. I heard he was supposed to be hilarious. Maybe it’s because this is more of a middle-grade, but I didn’t find The Last Dragonslayer as funny as I hoped. There were an abundance of quirky, fun, satirical moments fir for a middle-grade story though. Overall, an enjoyable read. I still probably would continue the series if the opportunity arises. Probably.

Rating: C+

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (2007)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: As other’s have said, this book starts off very strong–but falls apart by the end as if the author had no idea where to take the story, so he just threw something that sounded cool (but is actually a convoluted mess) together. I think the ending was SUPPOSED to be mind-blowing. But it wasn’t. It is still a fun plot: Jane the protagonist is arrested and sent to a psychiatric ward, where she claims to be part of a government secret organization that fights crime, but yet is capable of going undetected. There’s a little bit of unreliable narrator going on, but it’s just A LOT OF FUN. At least until the last fifty pages.
Rating: C+

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers (2007)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: If only I could “read” books, or at least absorb their knowledge by simply eating them like this boy can, then maybe I wouldn’t take so long writing reviews. And maybe then I’d finally understand the great philosophical works of of Nietzsche and Kant.  Except that would be very expensive and I would rack up a lot of library fines. I loved this book, about a boy who discovers the love of reading because he ate too many books–and I’m becoming quite the Jeffers fan. Darn it, I love his collages and painting style.
Rating: A

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers (2011)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: As you might have noticed, I’m having a Oliver Jeffers obsession lately. It all started when I won a Penguin giveaway. So Penguin sent me a poster of this book. And because I love Jeffers’ illustrations, I just had to put it on my bedroom wall. And because I put it on my bedroom wall, I felt the need to read the book, because what would I do if someone asked me about it? (nobody asked, but still!) So I read the book, and it did not disappoint. It’s about a boy who keeps throwing stuff into a tree, causing a LOT of stuff to get stuck in the tree (like an elephant and a firetruck.) I enjoyed this book, though not quite as much as The Incredible Book Eating Boy.
Rating: B+


Ask The Passengers by A. S. King (2012)
Edition Read: Hardback
My Thoughts: The first book I’ve read for 2013 because I wanted to try more YA contemporary novels. I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s about LGBT, family relationships, a little bit of philosophy, and sending love to people on airplanes. I find these moments where Astrid confides in these strangers to be the heartwarming, especially because she’s still in the closet about her sexuality. I admittedly haven’t read much LGBT, and I’m trying to remedy that–though I’m not sure if this book did the trick. I didn’t care about this couple, they just seemed like they were together because of teenage horomones. This was one of those books that were just “okay,” for me. I didn’t dislike anything, but I can’t sing praises either.
Rating: C++

Left Behind by Tim Lahaye & Jerry B. Jenkins (2000)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: You have not read “preachy” until you’ve read Left Behind. Basically The Raptures comes, and all true believers of God disappear, along with babies. Along the way, it’s accepted that the ones taken away are in Heaven (if Heaven is filled with babies, I might have to reconsider.) I’m not Christian or Catholic, which made the book a even harder pill to swallow. At first I enjoyed the book due to its plot. I love a good, intriguing thriller any day, but gradually the book became more of an annoying salesman trying to convert you by scaring you. The religion is so heavy-handed that it took away all the entertaining elements that kept me reading in the first place.
Rating: D+

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (1963)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: It’s about time I’ve read some Kurt Vonnegut (because I managed the get through high school without reading Slaughterhouse-Five.) I was assigned to read Cat’s Cradle for my Post Apocalyptic class, and enjoyed it, though it’s apocalyptic elements are often in the backdrop (what a disappointment.) I had trouble comprehended Vonnegut’s made-up religion, Bokonism, but as I began to ponder it more after I was done with the story, the more it made sense, and the more I appreciated Vonnegut’s writing. I still think there were way too many characters, many that you think are minor–until they reappear later on and play a pivotal role. I don’t know if Vonnegut is for me. Although I like his satirical, absurd humor and his wacky imagination, but Cat’s Cradle just didn’t hold my interest.
Rating: C+

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003)
Edition Read: Hardcover/E-book
My Thoughts: Another author I should’ve read long ago, but instead had to use the excuse of school to finally do so. I enjoyed Oryx and Crake largely due to it’s dystopic, sci-fi elements. It’s also a very twisted story with pedophilia and genetic engineering. This post-apocalyptic story is about a guy who lives in a post-apocalypstic would with Crakers. These Crakers are the new-generation of humans, humans who are genetically modified to better survive. The creator of them, Crake, decided to manufacture an apocalypse to cleanse Earth and to hand over the world to his Crakers. I loved Oryx and Crake’s characters–especially Crake, who is given the tropes of being a mad scientist deeply affected by his troubled family life and media, yet has sympathetic intentions–except the apocalypse part of his plans.
Rating: B-

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)
Edition Read: Mass Paperback
My Thoughts: I really thought I would’ve liked this one a lot more (it’s a Pultzer Prize winner.) During class, everyone was commenting on how depressed The Road made them feel with its grey, hopeless milieu. On Goodreads, people kept saying how The Road made them burst into tears and be emo for the rest of the week. And then I was there in the corner feeling heartless. Yet, I still didn’t enjoy it. Not because of the lack of punctuation, I surprising didn’t mind that at all–but because NOTHING happened. I have no idea what the climax of the story is, and maybe for such a story, it doesn’t need one. I mean they saw some corpses and met some people–but it more or less an endless cycle of starving, finding food, then eating the last of it only to starve again (you have to wonder why they don’t carry more food with them, or at least ration what they have.) I found the gore to be a cheap cop-out into eliciting emotion. And the stilted, minmalistic dialogue made me feeling disengaged with the characters (even though I also acknowledge there may be reasons why it done approached this way.)
Rating: C+

Watchmen by Alan Moore (1986)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: I enjoyed The Watchmen for its intriguing, and morally complex characters. It was a thought-provoking contrast to the righteous tropes in superhero lore. Even though characters were not “likable,” I still rooted for them. I also appreciate the use of its format (the way each panel is planned is–cinematic.) But I wasn’t intrigued with the plot (though I understand its cultural significance) and the romance which moves WAY TOO fast to be believable. Perhaps it’s because this is my first experience with graphic novels that made The Watchmen a slow read for me (I thought that since it was filled with pictures , that reading would go faster, but the opposite was true.) I am still not a fan of the very muscular and BLOODY art style that left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t think I’ll be reading more graphic novels in the near future.
Rating: B+

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Book Reviews, Children's Book, Grade B, Grade C, Grade D, Young Adult

≈ 6 Comments

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[Guest Post] Dualed Blog Tour, Interview with Elsie Chapman + GIVEAWAY!

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

Tags

2013, author, book, books, dystopian, fighting, giveaway, interview, sci-fi, writing, young adult, young adult fiction

Dualed by Elsie Chapman
Dualed (2013)
by Elsie Chapman
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Goodreads.
Amazon.
Barnes and Noble.
IndieBound.

I’m very excited to be featuring Elsie Chapman today as part of the Dualed Blog Tour!

Two of you exist.
Only one will survive.
The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Q: Share with us some of the inspiration behind DUALED! How long did it take you to write and sell DUALED? And now that you are a 2013 debut author, how does that effect your writing schedule??

The first draft of DUALED took me five weeks, but revisions and took me much longer. In the end, almost everything evens out, it seems. And I think it took me about three months to sell DUALED.

I couldn’t be happier with how it all worked out! But I’m definitely feeling more of a time crunch now that there’s one book already in the works. Because with follow-up books that you might be drafting or editing, you’re still having to edit or promote your first book at the same time. I’m still struggling with better time management, and I’ve learned it is wholly possible to survive on four hours of sleep a night.

Q: You or your Alt? If you lived in Kersh, who do you think would win the dual? What would you use to fight your Alt (weapons, strategy, fighting skills)?

I hate to say it but I think my Alt would probably kick my butt. Not only do I know my own tendencies and weaknesses, I also couldn’t imagine she’d be any worse. But of course it would still have to come down to a battle, so I think if I stood any chance at all, I’d probably have to rely on doing something sneaky.

Don’t forget to check out the other blog tour stops and enter the tour-wide giveaway for a finished copy of Dualed (open internationally, as long as The Book Depository ships to your country.)

Click here to go to Rafflecopter giveaway!

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post, Interviews, Young Adult

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[Guest Post] Harken Blog Tour, Interview with Kaleb Nation + TWO GIVEAWAYS!

18 Monday Feb 2013

Tags

2013, author, book, books, conspiracy theory, giveaway, interview, writing, young adult, young adult fiction

 Harken (2013)
by Kaleb Nation (twitter.)
Publication Date: January 13th, 2013
Read a 3 Chapter Preview.
Goodreads.
Amazon.


I’m very excited to be featuring Kaleb Nation today as part of the Harken Blog Tour!

After surviving an assassination attempt, teenager Michael Asher discovers that he is at the center of a worldwide conspiracy reaching higher than any earthly power. A supernatural organization desperately wants him dead. He doesn’t know why. Everyone who might have the answers has already been killed.

Q: Will Harken be translated into other languages? What language would you most like to see Harken translated into?

HARKEN is in English right now, but hopefully we’ll see some other translations soon. I’d love to see it translated into Japanese! I haven’t had any of my books in that language yet.

Q: What was the cover choosing process like?

The first cover designs looked nice but didn’t really capture the feel of HARKEN. You can see some of the rejected covers here.
I wanted a cover that captures something iconic from the book. What sets HARKEN apart from everything else out there?
Meanwhile, my readers were anxiously waiting to read HARKEN, which at that time was known as the #SecretKalebBook on Twitter. Some of them started to write #SecretKalebBook on their hands to show their support as I wrote.
That got me thinking. How could we design a cover that shows something special from the book but also gives a nod to the people who’ve been waiting for years to read it? That’s where the idea of using Michael’s scale-covered hand came from… and as an added bonus, the word HARKEN is over his hand, just like my readers had been doing! 

Q: Do you think you will have the urge to “fix” or tweak some things in Harken the more you read it?

YES! I am a perfectionist. I was altering tiny details all the way to my deadline. Books are such massive projects that it’s impossible to get everything entirely perfect, and yet I still find it hard to let it go. Because of this, I’ve never fully read any of my books after they were published – I know if I open it, I’ll want to change things!

Don’t forget to check out the other Harken blog tour stops and enter the tour-wide giveaway for a Harken themed Kindle Paperwhite and a Harken prize pack! I know I want it!


Click here to go to Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win your very own HARKEN KINDLE PAPERWHITE!

And to thank you for reading (or scrolling) this far here’s a SECOND giveaway for a Harken prize pack right here on the blog!

  • – a giant HARKEN poster (signed)
  • – a HARKEN glow-in-the-dark wristband
  • – a Kaleb Nation postcard (signed)
  • – a HARKEN glow-in-the-dark silver ring

HOW TO ENTER:
Want to win a Harken Prize Pack? Leave a comment telling me if you’ve read Harken yet. (mandatory entry)
1 Winner, INTERNATIONAL, giveaway ends on February 26th, 2013 midnight EST, Good luck!

OPTIONAL Extra Entries (please list them in the same comment, don’t worry–I can do math):
+1 Like the Harken fanpage (leave Facebook name)
+1 Follow Kaleb Nation on Twitter (@KalebNation) (leave Twitter username)
+1 Follow me on Twitter (@noveltoybox) (leave Twitter username)
+1 Follow by email/Wordpress (leave the email/username you used in your subscriptionn)
+1 Share giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Blog Post (one entry per share, leave me a link)

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post, Interviews, Young Adult

≈ 14 Comments

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Fall 2012 Mini-Reviews: Because Sometimes I’m Too Tired To Muster Full Reviews

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Tags

adult, book, book reviews, books, creepy, horror, literature, novels, potpourri, variety, young adult


All these books I read during the the 2012 fall semester in the midst of midterms, finals, exams, presentations, and a deluge of art projects. These books don’t have their own post, not because they’re so bland (though a few do fall under that category) that they don’t warrant one, but mostly because I felt all has been said already. Or I was too lazy. Never mind, it’s the laziness.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (2012)
Edition Read: Audiobook/Hardcover (Because I was confused while listening to the audiobook, so I had to re-read some parts with a physical copy)
My Thoughts: Strong writing. But I wasn’t invested in the story. I wasn’t sure how the sub-plots connected, and when it finally did (late into the novel,) I wasn’t interested (ley lines? some dead king?) The protagonist, Blue, who was quickly overshadowed by everyone else. I have to give props to creativity though. Great plot twist and cliffhanger ending. I might’ve liked it more if I didn’t start with audio.
Rating: C++

Breed by Chase Novak (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: Who better to recommend a horror novel for Halloween than Stephen King himself? He did say it was “the best horror novel I’ve read since Peter Straub’s Ghost Story.” Not sure if King has  low standards, was held hostage, or he’s read nothing since Ghost Story. The horror was pretty much non-existent (there were a few gory scenes, but I can’t say they were “scary.”) Thought it had an interesting premise, but the delivery in the second half was lackluster. A lot of pointless running around. A LOT.
Rating: C

Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult’s Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It’s Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner by Jen Lancaster (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: I thought this was supposed to be hilarious. But apparently it’s just re-hashed material thrown together under the premise of “learning how to be an adult.” Some stories made me smile, but the book grew disappointing as it went on. *sigh*
Rating: C+

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (2011)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: One of the most creative books I’ve read. The photographs was a nice addition that gave me goosebumps, but enchanted me at the same time. It also fit the Halloween mood I was in. Except after the halfway mark it wasn’t a horror story any more. Family secrets galore. Characters fell flat though. I think I was supposed to sympathize with the main character. But he was just an ungrateful jerk.
Rating: B+

Feedback by Robison Wells (2012)
Edition Read: E-book/Hardcover
My Thoughts: *flips table* Unlike Variant which was well-paced, this was just a mess of action with no thought. Romance was forced. I had no idea what’s going on in this world anymore: aren’t the students against the school? Why are they sheltering these two at the risk of their lives?  And that ending? WHAT IS THAT??  I had to re-read the last chapter with a physical copy to make sure it was really the end and not some sick joke on the e-book.
Rating: C


Warm Bodies by Issac Marion (2010)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: A poetic take on zombies. A nice change in zombie books which has a poor reputation for not having substance. However, I felt this book was too pretentious for its own good. The prose was full of insights, but too heavy-handed for my liking. That ending? REALLY? I movie looks fun though. I wish he would wear a suit and a tie like he did in the book. Classy.
Rating: C++

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (2011)
Edition Read: Audiobook
My Thoughts: Once of the few moments where I felt romance was well constructed with moments where my heart broke for Tucker. I had a “nice guys finish last” moment. There’s a love-triangle. But I believe in Tucker. I didn’t feel the importance of the angle’s “purpose” though. There were many nice moments, like the explanation of angels. The denouement felt like a cheesy, melodramatic teen superhero movie.
Rating: C+

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: ARGH. I was expecting more. But the result? lame. Melo-dramatic and forced. A bunch of greedy, rebellious teens do stupid things for money and fame. The romance and friendships are as filmsy as tracing paper. I think it was supposed to be a satire for our media culture but that concept wasn’t fully developed. I thought it was supposed to be a horror novel from the cover. A quick read though, but very repetitive. No tension whatsoever.
Rating: C-

The Cheese Monkeys: A Novel in Two Semesters by Chip Kidd (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: I loved it more being a graphic design student. But I reckon anyone can enjoy this novel for its humor and wit. A slow start and almost unfitting denouement though. The ending is almost surreal. *headache* But the middle? I completely loved.
Rating: B+

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (2012)
Edition Read: Audiobook
My Thoughts: A raw, real coming of age story. I acknowledge its beautiful writing and its controversial aspects. But left me underwhelmed? Really? That was it? Where did that come from??
Rating: B-

Dare Me by Megan Abbott (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: Loved the writing.  I very much enjoyed this book, even if it was about evil cheerleaders who wouldn’t stop at anything to be popular. Human nature can be disturbing. Some of the evil things these girls do to sabotage their “friends” is..scary. The mystery aspect surprised me (I didn’t even know it was supposed to be a mystery.) A lot of raw emotions. I only hope real teens aren’t THIS screwed up. EATING DISORDERS FOR EVERYONE!
Rating: B

Every Day by David Levithan (2012)
Edition Read: Paperback ARC (Thank you, The YA Bookcase!)
My Thoughts: This book can come across as preachy. But it was very thought-provoking. Any of the friends spoke to be within a month of me finish this book was pulled into a discussion about gender, and if it’s really a product of social construction. Every time I see the cover I wonder what the girl jumping on clouds is thinking “WHEEEE!! Soft clouds!” I didn’t COMPLETELY love this book because the sinister, interesting sub-plot was resolved too quickly. I didn’t approve of the ending. And there were repetitive bits that made A (the main-character) into a love-sick puppy. But this book made me cry. Surprisingly, not because of the star-crossed love story, but because of a heart-wrenching girl who needed help, and a father who refused to notice. Her story was only a chapter or so, but the impact was stronger than the rest of the book. But I did love this book and immediately lent it out to friends.
Rating: B++

Penguin 75 by Paul Buckley (2010)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: EYE CANDY GALORE! This is a book I requested through inter-library loan under the guise that it was for my graphic design research paper, but was really more for my viewing pleasure. It’s interesting what authors think, but the book wasn’t very complete. I wanted more insight. GIVE ME THE THOUGHT PROCESS. Who knew the creator of The Shadow of the Wind‘s cover was just lucky and didn’t actually finish the book until the covers were printed? PENGUIN, PLEASE HIRE ME.
Rating: B–

Bossypants by Tina Fey (2011)
Edition Read: Audiobook
My Thoughts: This book is meant to be an audiobook. Nothing makes Bossypants better than Tina reading her story to you herself. I found her story inspiring, and her tips for improv strangely relevant to regular communication. I never found SNL funny (I’ve always preferred MadTV,) so maybe that’s why I didn’t laugh. I had some chuckles though.
Rating: B

Just My Type by Simon Garfield (2010)
Edition Read:Hardcover
My Thoughts: Typography for normal people! Unfortunately, the book was poorly organized and felt disjointed. And also apparently filled with errors and misleading information. Proves that even a book may not be the best research material (I think I ended up using a single quote in my final paper.) Not sure if the author really likes typography, or is just flaunting vocabulary found in a Typography 101 textbook. Some of his arguments were subjective, and I wasn’t sure where he was coming from. WHY IS THIS TYPEFACE NOT AS GREAT AS THAT ONE? WHAT MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL?? GIVE ME ANSWERS. Oh wells, still very readable.
Rating: B–

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer (2012)
Edition Read: Hardcover
My Thoughts: Not impressed. Preachy (Original fairy tales are better than those lame Disney renditions! They have great morals!–oh really, Chris Colfer? Are you SURE you want the rape, incest, and gore in ORIGINAL fairy tales?). Clunky writing. Way too repetitive. And predictable plot twists that didn’t make much sense. But really, who was I kidding?
Rating: C

Mr. Monster by Dan Wells (2012)
Edition Read: Paperback
My Thoughts: I guess I am just determined to finish the series even if I wasn’t too impressed with the first book. Meh book. Had some interesting ideas though. But I never felt John Cleaver was really that disturbed. STOP THINKING YOU’RE SO SMART, JOHN. YOU ARE AN IDIOT. I was surprised that Wells managed to wrap the story up so quickly. On a side note, editting got worse. Dexter does the sociopath murderer thing better. This was like the first book modified slightly.
Rating: C+

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Book Reviews, Children's Book, Grade B, Grade C, Young Adult

≈ 4 Comments

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2012 END OF YEAR BOOK SURVEY (Because I don’t read enough for a top ten list)

14 Friday Dec 2012

Tags

best of 2012, books, dystopian, literature, recommendations, thriller, YA, young adult


I am joining in on the party that is The 3rd annual End of Year Book Survey! (Hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner) I guess this is kind of my BEST-OF-THE-YEAR-SO-PLEASE-READ-THESE-BOOKS list, but not really.

1. Best Book You Read In 2012?

I thought this survey was supposed to be easy Oh wells, I am going to cheat and break this up into sub categories.

Unexpected Tear-jerker: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
I got teary-eyed twice. TWICE. It’s one of two books that made me tear up this year, and the only to do it twice.

Zombie Book: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Whoever said zombie books can’t have substance? But once I told my friends that it was a zombie book, they had a look of disgust (granted, they TRIED to hide it, but still.)

The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Philosophical, Sci-fi Dystopian: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Must Read if You’re a Graphic Design Student (plus, it’s hilarious): The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd
I didn’t care for the first “semester” part, nor the last fifty pages. But the second semester? Gold.

Book That Should Have Been Boring, But Somehow Isn’t: The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman
It’s a book about an invisible guy talking to his shrink about stalking people. The book is comprised of transcripts from his sessions.

I Don’t Even Know What This Is, But I Love It: Survivior by Chuck Palanuik
A guy hijacks a plane and records his story while waiting for his impending death.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
I was excited for this one to come out for at least six months before its release because I am superficial and get attracted to pretty covers way too easily. Okay, to be fair, I didn’t hate this one. The concept was creative, character development was great (at least for the main character,) AND it was thought-provoking. But I wanted better. I am too greedy for my own good.

Feedback by Robison Wells
I really, really, really enjoyed Variant. I was dying to read Feedback once it came out. I finished it in a day, but that was one very disappointing ending. What kind of ending is that? Wells just took random to a whole new level. I feel cheated.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Don’t hit me! I admit that it is beautifully written, with great characters (and VERY quotable.) But really, that’s it? On the other hand, I just realized people are obsessed with making copies of Charlie’s mixtape on 8tracks (I swear there’s at least ten of them.) Enough people, make your own mixtapes!


I would also say Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, but I didn’t even last past the first ten pages before the language made me want to hide under a pillow. I admit, reading Jay’s interview only made it worse (Wikipedia for research? really?)–along with the negative reviews. Eventually, I decided I couldn’t continue reading with an objective eye anymore. Maybe I’ll pick it up again next year. But seriously, I WAS SO EXCITED for that one–like, counting-days-before-its-release excited. Plus, its cover is pretty damn badass.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna. I had low expectations for this book, partly because the buzz seemed to die once the book was released. It was one of those I just picked up because…why not? (okay, maybe the cover had something to do with it.) And it blew me away, I loved the complex characters, the thought-provoking issues…my only gripe is that I wish it had more world-building (I always forget that the book was supposed to be in India.) And then I cried for this book. I didn’t even know it was a tear-jerker. I’m glad to have discovered this gem before the end of the year.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Just because I think its one of those fun books that are impossible to hate. I am still in the process of making one of my best friends read it. And he isn’t listening to me.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
Okay, technically it’s still a standalone and I don’t know if there’s even a series name yet. But I will not pass up any opportunity to pimp this book. Apparently there are other installments in the works (i.e. stuck in the editing phase and hasn’t been bought yet?) Now I’m stuck weeping and hoping the more people I force to read this book, the more people will be Sheehan fans…and then we can form an angry mob and make the sequel come to fruition. Seriously. I have the pitchforks ready.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

No answer, just because I think to be my “favorite author,” I have to love more than one of their books. But this year, I haven’t read more than one book by more than a handful of authors and none of them have quite reached my “favorite” status. I suspect it’s also because I read too many debut books this year. One the other hand, I keep reading Dan Wells even though I wasn’t particular impressed with his books. WHAT IS THIS CURSE?

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I don’t read much middle-grade. Somehow most of them turn out to be too childish for my taste, with kids doing things way too easily, or villains that are too flat (“WORLD DOMINATION” just doesn’t cut it anymore.) But Wonder was different. The story depicted the feelings of being bullied so well that it touched my heart.


The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I avoid historical fiction like the plague. But I admit, this book is kinda win. I must take this opportunity to declare: I KNEW THE PLOT TWIST BEFORE IT HAPPENED! LALALALALA.

Oh yes, and the handful of Jane Porter romance novels I read over the summer, because a friend keep telling me about how delicious romances were. Now I know why she likes them so much. It’s addicting stuff!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Ever heard of intentionally reading slower to savor each word, and then feeling like the apocalypse is coming when you’re at the last 100 pages…that’s was me. I want to be in the OASIS, right now.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:
Also Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I decided I would re-read it right after I flipped the last page. I am waiting for the paperback I love the paperback cover to bits!) to be dirt cheap, because I am Chinese and I CAN’T BUY ANYTHING AT FULL PRICE. It’s in my blood.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence
Its shiny, metallic cover lured me in like bees to honey. Then I discovered it wasn’t honey, but that’s not the point.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?


As much as I want to be a hipster, I have to agree with Jamie from Broke & Bookish / The Perpetual Page-Turner and say A from David Levithan’s Every Day. The concept of not having any physical characteristics, gender, or religion to define you is so intriguing. All my best friends that talked to me within a month of me finishing Every Day was forced into a discussion about gender being a social construct…and sex changing.

Tris from Insurgent and Diana from A Discovery of Witches are both memorable as well…I’ve never wanted to throw a book out the window more fervently.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
While I wasn’t in love this one (the pace was too slow, and I wasn’t interested in the romance,) but the writing blew me away. I’ve loved many quotes from this book, and looking at the cover, I would’ve never guessed this book was filled with so many hidden gems. I usually won’t read the sequel if I am not invested in the story, but in Zevin’s case, I am planning to pick up the sequel, Because It’s In My Blood, just for the beautiful writing.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I have not suffered from a great loss, so I can’t relate to this book like many others have. But the writing stood out to me as a masterpiece, just BEGGING to be read aloud.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman
Yes, that book about an invisible guy talking to his shrink about stalking people. Even though it’s been many months since I’ve finished this book, but it still hasn’t let me go. Basically, this book is about a awkward, insecure guy who wears an invisible suit to hide in strangers’ houses. He purposely picks people that live alone, believing that only then will he be able to observe man as they really are, not the multiple versions of ourselves we portray for others.

Reading that made me think about myself and how being alone changes my behavior. I think of all the things I wouldn’t do if I had a room-mate; I probably wouldn’t jump on my bed and sing along to Taylor Swift, for one. Nor would I talk to myself (I am not crazy, I promise!) Then I wonder about my family members–why haven’t I caught them talking to themselves or jumping on beds before?

This book ended up indirectly inspiring a few art projects. And I’m STILL thinking about it.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I was actually recommended it by a friend who LOVED it wayyyy back when I was in middle school. And it took me seven years to finally get to it. In my defense, I did borrow it from the library once, read one page, left it alone because I wasn’t interested. For whatever reason I thought the protagonist was supposed to be a girl.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

…lies can sound awfully pretty when a girl is in love with the person telling them.

Gabrielle Zevin, All The Things That I’ve Done

Never fall in love with an idea. They’re whores: if the one you’re with isn’t doing the job, there’s always, always, always another.

Chip Kidd, The Cheese Monkeys

My mantra for creating right there.

And for the typography lover in me:

And that’s the challenge for all of us – to create warmth in a digital world. Not many people can do it. You see a lot of stuff that looks great but simply doesn’t turn you on. It’s like making a song on a synthesizer. To make a drum machine sound good is really difficult – you might as well play real drums

Erik Spiekermann (quote read from Just My Type by Simon Garfield)

I ended up using this quote on a poster I did for Graphic Design. To be honest, I am not sure if the quote is the most suitable. But whatever. I got my A+, I am happy. *brag brag brag*

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Longest — A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 592 pages. Painful stuff, and the length (the font size was SO TINY and so was the line spacing) only made it worse. I conquered it though! *applause*

Shortest — This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers, 32 pages. A children’s book I read a few hours ago because Penguin Teen sent me a copy and THE ILLUSTRATIONS WERE SO BEAUTIFUL that I couldn’t resist reading it right after tearing it from the package. I WAS going to gift it away for Christmas, but now I have to reconsider.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!


The underwater door-opening scene that somehow didn’t cause water to go rushing into the room in Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules. I must have re-read that part several times, hoping it would make sense. Did I miss something?

And someone please tell me what’s the point of Divergent’s Tris climbing that ferris wheel if she couldn’t even climb down.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Pretty much ALL the familial relationships in Sangu Mandanna’s The Lost Girl
All of the characters that matter have so much complexity built into them. All the main characters and the emotional conflicts they carry made The Lost Girl exceptional. The story is about a girl who is born to replace another in the event of an accident. The way her family tells her to leave for her safety despite their hearts breaking…that’s beautiful stuff. While on the other side, we see the family of the dead girl, trying to cope with her lose (albeit, in unhealthy ways.) I didn’t care about Adrian’s familial relationships though, he can disappear for all I care.

Carla and Tucker from Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly
I didn’t care about their one-week love declarations, but I did love how their relationship was built. The way Tucker’s actions echoed “Why won’t you look at me?” made my heart throb. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the plot, so the book isn’t high on my favorites list.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously
Once again, The Visible Man. I read his book, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto before, and liked the first half. I faintly remember it now, it was a collection of essays, and one of them had Sims.

Somehow many of the authors that I’ve read and enjoyed in the past didn’t impress me this year. I’m looking at you, Sophie Kinsella and Danny Wallace.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

SOLELY? That’s a hard question. Usually books are on my TBR list, then I take the plunge when I see a great review of it on a book blog. I would say Shanna Swendson’s Enchanted Inc. recommended to me by Christina over at Reader of Fictions. I was in the middle of reading too many books with ruthless serial killers and zombie apocalypses that I needed something light, Enchanted Inc. was just the thing. Now I need to get to the rest of the series.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. We’ll see. MAYBE I will get to it before the year is over.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?


The Vintage Knopf paperback edition of Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui
I enjoyed the movie, and I think the book will only be better–granted the translation isn’t awkward.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

Make more friends. PWEASE BE MY FRIEND, I HAVE COOKIES AND STUFF.

Oh yes, and gather an angry mob to bring A Long, Long Sleep #2 into fruition.

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Best of the Year, Grade A, Stuff A Website Should Have, Young Adult

≈ 37 Comments

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[Book Haul] In My Mailbox #4

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Tags

adventure, book, books, fiction, recommendations, young adult


The Story Siren‘s In My Mailbox meme: for book bloggers to share their book haul from the week, or month…or whatever.

I haven’t done a book haul in a long while, especially since my reading and blogging time has dwindled with college, and thus I’ve tried to control my book intake. BUT TODAY IS SPECIAL. BECAUSE TODAY I FINALLY BOUGHT HOME THE BOOKCASE I MADE FOR SCULPTURE CLASS LAST SEMESTER (but my professor kept it for display purposes until now.) Which would’ve fit more books if I wasn’t so lazy and only made it half size. Don’t look at it too closely, lest you want to catch all my mistakes. WOODWORKING IS HARD STUFF. Excuse the poor lighting, but it’s actually a retro, cream green. It’s also supposed to be shaped as a television set, because reading is my entertainment…is that too cheesy? I know I should’ve had added some stubby legs, made the borders thicker, added a glass pane, etc. etc. So onto the books I’ve added to my bookcase over this past month!
    • Drain You by M. Beth Bloom (Thank you, M.!)
    • Mind Games & Endlessly ARCs by Kiersten White
    • Dualed ARC by Elsie Chapman (The YA Bookcase was incredibly sweet and sent me this along with the Kiersten White ARCs and swag because I mentioned wanting to read it in a comment! I literally squealed when I saw it!!)
    • The Headmaster’s Wager ARC by Vincent Lam (Thank you, Nicole from Paperback Princess!)
    • Etiquette for the End of the World ARC by Jeanne Martinet (Thank you, Chick Lit Central!)
    • The Intercept ARC by Dick Wolf (Thank you, Random House!)
    • Throne of Glass UK Edition by Sarah J. Maas (Thank you, Novel Sounds!)
    • The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (Thank you, Tiffany from Book Cover Justice!)
    • Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins (Thank you AGAIN, Tiffany from Book Cover Justice!)
    • The Mockingbirds SIGNED by Daisy Whitney (Thank you, Daisy!)
    • If You Find Me ARC by Emily Murdoch (Thank you, Emily!)
    • The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore (Thank you, Hatchette!)
    • Cinda Williams Chima Poster + Swag from Amelia at The Authoress (I STILL NEED TO GUESS YOUR NAME, RUMPELSTILTSKIN!)
Got your own book haul? Link me up! I would love to drool over your goodies!

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under In My Mailbox/Book Haul, Meme

≈ 8 Comments

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In Less Than Ten Hours I Will Be In a Classroom Again (+Audiobooks and Nail Polish)

20 Monday Aug 2012

Tags

audiobooks, books, breaking dawn, chris colfer, college, flipping tables, john green, nail polish, school, twilight, university, white-out

Here’s John Green to make this blog post that really isn’t about books into a blog post that looks like it’s about books! If you didn’t know (seriously, have you been living under a rock?), John Green wrote The Fault In Our Stars, which is probably the YA bible of 2012. I would probably also say it’s a wonderful book…if I had actually read it. But since I didn’t, let’s just pretend I did. Hey! In my defense, I do own a copy…[insert brilliant, convincing excuse here]


As much as I don’t want to break my book review streak with this blog post, I must…because I am going back to school in less than nine hours. With school back in session, I’m afraid I won’t have nearly as much time to read and blog. Instead of long sleepless nights spent cuddling with a novel, I anticipate long sleepless nights of studying, thesis writing, project making (the toils of being an art major), and coffee drinking. For the first time in months I will actually know what date it is, and precisely how far away I am from the weekend!

And because of John Green‘s An Open Letter to Students Returning to School (I embedded the video above), I will work hard to ace ALL THE TESTS (or as least as much as I can, let’s be practical here). Not because I’m Asian and it’s in my blood, nor is it because I’ll be entitled to bragging rights (though that is pretty spiffy), but because I attend a public university that is partially subsidized with tax money. So because you invested in my education, tax-payers, I will try not to become a poorly educated, stupid person and ruin your lives. You’re welcome. Unless you happen to be running from the IRS, then I suppose all bets are off and I am free to ruin your life.


Unfortunately, I will have to go back to enduring three hour bus rides, which would actually be a great reading opportunity–if I didn’t have the tendency of falling asleep on buses. Since I can’t read 90% of the time without dozing off on buses, I decided to try something else. I have my IPod armed with Chris Colfer’s The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories, #1) and my earphones plugged in, determined to give audiobooks a try again. My first foray into audiobooks a few years ago with Stephanie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn didn’t fare so well. I thought the reader was way too slow, and I fell asleep around the part where Bella panicked about being pregnant–to this day I still don’t know how Breaking Dawn ended, but whatever.

On a random note, I painted my nails for the first time in a long time today. But I found this hot pink nail polish I received as a Christmas gift two years ago and couldn’t resist. My dad saw my painted nails and told me “Cut your nails, only people who have nothing better to do have long nails.” I won’t listen to him, because dads know nothing about sparkly nails. I’ve refrained from painting my nails because I gave the last of my nail polish remover to my sister.

I learned the hard way not to paint nails without nail polish remover from that one time I thought it was cool to paint my nails white. Not a good idea. My nails ended up looking like white-out–chunky, disgusting white-out that made me want to flip a table. Then I proceeded to desperately scratch out the ugly polish off my poor nails the rest of the day. I still don’t have nail polish remover, but I Googled, and apparently body spray works. Finally, I can use that old-lady smelling body spray my aunt gave me!

Fudge, now I only have seven hours left! ZZZZZzzzzzzz

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under My Self Proclaimed Very Interesting Life, Stuff A Website Should Have

≈ 1 Comment

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[Waiting On Wednesday #6] Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan (2012)

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

Tags

book, books, bookstore, fantasy, fiction, literary fiction, literature, mystery, recommendations

Waiting On Wednesdays
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan (2012)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel (2012)
by Robin Sloan (Twitter.)
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Macmillian: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
preorder a copy via Amazon.
Goodreads.

The Great Recession has landed Clay Jannon a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter the time of day.

-description from Goodreads.

My Thoughts:
I originally scheduled this post for last week, but Dan Wells ruined my plans. From the cover I get the sci-fi vibe (I had to check if it was just a temporary cover), from the description I get the adventure vibe…and apparently it’s classed under literary fiction. Not only am I dying to explore Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, but I would love to see how Sloan blends these three genres, all of which I love together into one, fantastical journey in a mysterious bookstore.

Do you have a book that is making you count down to its release date? Leave a comment, I would love to know.

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Meme, Waiting On Wednesday

≈ 1 Comment

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[review] A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2011)

02 Monday Jul 2012

Tags

alchemy, book, book review, books, paranormal, psychics, romance, science, spells, vampires, witchcraft, witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2011)
A Discovery of Witches (2011)
by Deborah Harkness
Hardcover Edition
Published Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: Penguin Books
buy a copy via Amazon.
synopsis via Goodreads.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

My Thoughts:
I wonder if I picked up a copy of Twilight fanfiction by mistake because A Discovery of Witches felt like Twilight posing as an adult novel minus the werewolves. Actually, I daresay that Twilight was a better novel–at least you could finish the thing in two days, and the pacing was fine. A Discovery of Witches takes slow pacing to a whole new level (though I have to admit the writing was a lot more refined), and Bella can’t hold a flame to Diana’s annoying personality (before today, I didn’t even think it was possible.) I don’t even know how this made New York Times Bestseller lists. But if a forced love story between wimpy, annoying witches and extremely possessive, handsome vampires are your thing, this is your book.
Continue reading →

Posted by Lilian @ A Novel Toybox | Filed under Book Reviews, Grade D

≈ 6 Comments

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