My 2017 Books

The new year is here! (As of me typing it is 2:10 pm on Dec. 31)

Let's recap the books I read this year and give links to the books themselves and to any reviews that I made of them as well as giving a small rating and little blurb of why I liked or disliked the book.

Boxing Plato's Shadow: I read this story for a Communication course that I took. The information was difficult to understand at points but it was very informative to my studies in the class. I rated it 3 Stars.

The Simarillion: This book I actually started around the end of 2016. I almost finished it during that year as well, but alas, it did not happen that way (I ended it in March!). While I did not a review post on this blog, I did write a short blurb on Goodreads. I didn't read it that fast at some points because the mass of information and story-telling in this book was IMMENSE. But, it was fun to read a bible-like book of Middle Earth. I rated it 5 Stars.

Beauty and the Beast: I read this story just for the fact that the live action movie came out and Belle is my favorite Disney princess. I cried in the theater listening to the song 'Nevermore' and I bought the Blu-Ray disc the second that it came out. The story wasn't the exact same of the live action or the animated version from Disney, but the character of Belle was the same strong woman. I rated it 5 Stars.

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner series): It had been three years since I read the first story in the Maze Runner series, so this one was a little harder to get into, but I found myself flipping through the pages pretty quickly. I was jumping back and forth with trusting some of the characters and not trusting some of them at all. I haven't seen the movie yet for this book but I am going to try and see it soon (mainly because I like the actors). I rated it 4 Stars.

L'homme qui plantait des arbres: This story I read for my French class. I thought it was a cute little story of a man trying to save the forest by just planting trees. It was short and sweet, but it also held a wonderful message within it. I recommend this to any person who is learning French or anyone who loves the environment. I rated it 4 Stars.

Scrappy Little Nobody: I bought this book as a winter break present for myself. I love Anna Kendrick and the ability to read a book that she wrote I jumped at. I was actually laughing at the writing, she is naturally funny and interesting. Some people don't like her, but I love her. She talked about her first films, about filming Twilight, and even about Pitch Perfect. It was amazing to hear her story. And she grew up so close to where I grew up, we're practically cousins. If anyone likes Anna Kendrick or just interestingly funny people, I tell you: read this. I rated it 5 Stars.

The Comet's Curse & The Web of Titan (Galahad series): I bought the archive version of this and had both books in one. For CC I liked how they started with them going to space, and then went back and forth to what had been happening on Earth beforehand. I have to say though, I was getting anxious at some points because who knows if this could actually happen. I'm getting anxious just thinking about it again. In WoT, there were very little ties to Earth, but mainly the children (they are all under 16) trying to figure out what to do and how to save themselves from Titan. There's also a cat so that's a plus in my book. I rated them 3 Stars and 4 Stars.

Lady Midnight & A Long Conversation (Dark Artifices): So, I'm a fan of the Shadowhunters stories, of course, I'm going to be reading this book. I'm so glad that my friend let me borrow it for so long so I could read it all. I was a little sad that I had none of my babies from the other two series, but I'm ready to fall in love with more (I'm head over heels for Christina right now) of them. I won't spoil this book, but I just thought it was a fun ride and just like Clare always does, there is forbidden romance. The second book was a small novella-like story of Clary and Jace. I basically cried reading this because it was so short but so good at the same time, and it tied in with Lady Midnight by having the events played at the same time. I rated them 4 Stars and 5 Stars.
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Hiroshima: I did write a review of this story. This story was emotional, and mostly so because it was completely true. Everything that happened was something that rocked the world of Japan. To me, this just shows the true America, the one that for years we have been trying to hide. I just want to again say sorry to all those that were affected that day and all those who are still being affected by it generations later. I rated it 5 Stars.

Under The Dome Part 1 & Part 2: I had watched the show the first year it came out, the premiere was too close by for me to find the books and read them, and when I was younger I didn't really want to read them. But now, I'm older and wiser. I wrote a review of these books together. I thought the action in the books was great and fast-paced, the characters were well rounded and written. However, there were parts of the books that I personally didn’t like or felt could have been taken out. I rated them both 4 Stars.

Maus 1 & 2: These two books are different from all the others on the list because they are graphic novels. They are the true story of Art's father during WW2, and it is made to have animals as the characters instead of humans. I loved the symbolism of each animal in the story, and it didn't take away from the pain of the truth. I rated them both 4 Stars.

Distracted: Another book for another class. This was a story written about how the world is distracted by technology and that it's a bad thing. Of course, as a Millennial, I was 'offended' by this. I find that all the arguments about technology being bad and taking away our attention is bogus. Yes, some people can get sucked in, but technology is a great way to learn about the world and keep in touch. I think the author just has a bad view of technology. I rated it 2 Stars.

Meditation as Contemplative Inquiry: This was a class reading that I really liked. I have just become aware of how much I like meditation and how much it could help me in my life. I even bought some meditation stones on Black Friday while shopping with my sister. There was very little within the book that I didn't understand or couldn't wrap my brain around, but that's normal with a book like this. It'll take I think another read to get more information out of it. A must-read for lovers of wellness and mindfulness. I rated it 4 Stars.

Candide: I've never really been one for certain French stories. But Voltaire is a good author. His satirical work on the hierarchy of France during the time was great. The story was a little too cringy and quick for me though. I'd like it to go on a little more, have a little more detail, but it was different back then. Also, I know it was different back there and he was pointing out the danger of it, but I was really put off by the amount of sexual abuse in the story. A cautious recommendation to anyone who likes French classics or satirical literature. I rated it 3 Stars.

Life and Death (Twilight Saga): If you read my very long review of this story, you know full well how I felt about this story. Twilight is such a big part of who I am and what I love. And rereading the same story but with new characters, while most would say was too lazy or annoying, I loved. The story is the same, and gave me the same emotions each time around. Now I just need to reread the whole saga again and watch all the movie again. I will love this saga and story for my whole life, and I will defend it even after I die. I rated it 5 Stars.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight Saga): This was the last book that I read this year. It was a quick one that I have been holding onto for a while, but I finally buckled down and read it. Surprisingly it took me a few days. I thought the story of following Bree around in her journey up until her demise was such a good idea. A wonderful addition to the Twilight Saga. I gave it 5 Stars.

Did you read any of the books that I did this year or years prior? What did you think of them? Let's chat in the comments!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: book art, bye 2017,

'Under the Dome' Part 1 & 2 by Steven King - A Book Review

So, my first experience with this series was the introduction of the television series on CBS. I knew it was a Steven King novel, but the premiere date was too close for me to run out and find the books to read before the series started. Also if I remember correctly, I wasn't interested in reading it when the show came out, good thing that time changes feelings.

Part 1

Television photo of the dome vs. the book cover dome.

This starts out as more of an origin story, and there were so many storylines to follow and people to remember that I kept forgetting that this story was only taking place over a few days, not weeks.  It was confusing to me that some of the characters were the same, but not doing the same activities. That some of the characters in the television show had been teenagers but in the book were preteens. In the show, two people had been in a relationship, in the book the man was the friend of the girl's ex.  I also found myself connecting the face from the show to the names in the book.  But that's to be expected with reading the book after watching the first season of the show.

The action was well written in this part but I feel that since it was two parts that most of the action and planning would happen in the second book (and I think I was right). This story was more to do with what they are all doing right after it falls, and the real danger comes afterward.

My rating: I gave this book 4 stars. This was mainly for the wonderful storytelling and the interesting plot. This part of the story ended on a high cliff-hanger. I was shocked by how abrupt it had ended and most of the issues had just appeared and were nowhere near fixed, or at least it didn't look that way.

I would have given this book 5 stars if not for one decent chunk of this book. That was what was done to Sammy Bushey.  I just felt very uncomfortable reading this part.  I understand that this story was written before the large movement of having trigger warnings and things like that, but it was a little too unnerving. I'm not saying he change the story (I'm about 8 years too late for that) but I am saying, if you're listening Mr. King, that the next time you happen to put a scene like this in one of your next stories, that you put a warning in the table of contents or the beginning of the chapter. Granted having a scene like that is also a little much in today's time, I can see how they work with stories and villainous characters.  I am going to put which section and number that I found this in since my edition might have different page numbers. I will also be putting here the spots in the second book where I found them.

-The first one is in section: Nyuck-Nyuck-Nyuck and number 10.
-The second one (which is multiple parts) is in section: In The Frame and numbers 4 and 5.
-There are other small paragraphs later in the novel after the victim is brought to the hospital where nurses and police mention it, but I have not been able to find those pages in the book again. I really need to start marking the pages while I'm reading so that I can put them down here for you all.
-Section Salt, chapter ten
-Section Salt, chapter 16
-Section Ashes, chapter 3 (a nurse refers to Sam as a r*pe victim)
-Section Ashes, chapter 7 (double murder of two of the abusers and suicide of Sammy)
-Section Ashes, chapter 13 (Denton's comment on Sammy)
-Section Ants, end of chapter 13 (Carter's comment to Rennie about Sammy and the assault)

Part 2

So I took a little detour between reading part 1 and 2 as can be seen from my Goodreads.  I watched the Twilight Saga with my roommate and just had to read Life and Death.  But you can find that review on this blog. I thought this was a nice ending to the two-part story.

I thought the action was fast-paced and nicely portrayed. The creation of the villain of Rennie Sr. was very well written, it was an instant knowledge, but the slow reveal of just how devastating he could be to the town was a nice way to keep the tension going in the story.  I also liked the changes in many of the characters and their personalities.

I also liked how King still started out the book with a list of some of the major characters who were trapped on Dome Day, even though most of them were dead or close to death.

I thought it was a nice insert to have Piper Libby to be a good priest, while also not fully believing in the God she preaches to. I thought it was a great way to show that sometimes you can fall out of something that you were so set on. I also made a note of a quote she made later on in the book "Pray to the God of your understanding." I found this really heartwarming because Libby knows that she can't force religion on someone if they already have their own. And why would she push something she no longer believes onto those who don't believe?

I really liked the comment that goes "You help me, I help you. Ginny and Gina, the Fighting Females." that was then followed by a fist bump. I was so happy to see that two women could stick together, no matter the reasoning.

I was really proud of Angela for kicking her addiction cold turkey so that she could better help the town in their time of need. I wish that she had gotten a better ending and more time in the books. She had a kind heart and good intentions.

Another character I wish was treated better is the Carolyn. She was a wonderful Dome-mom to the two kids and she really did love (or at least like a lot) Thurston. The way she felt about the kids made me believe more in raising children later on in my life.

"Skateboarders, they are a different breed." -Ernie (same man, same)

I thought I would like the character of Carter, I thought he would turn out good for everyone, but he didn't. I was very let down.

Also, I want to know more about what happens between Ames and Dismore after the Dome came up. That was a sudden relationship (friends or more I wonder) that I just want to know. I want it to be something big and meaningful. @ Mr. King, let me know if you've written anything about that. AmesxDismore

The last page, with Horace running to Julia and the last paragraph was a great ending. There was no further investigation into the Dome, and it just ended with the Dome lifting and them walking to their rescue and away from the Death Town that was once Chester's Mill.

I was not pleased with the second rape in this story. I thought it would just be left to Sammy's, which for me is even too much. I still understand the purpose of having it, but just to a point. The extent in which Sammy was hurt I felt didn't need to be there. And Carter's abuse of Linda in her home, I just felt there was no need or place for that. The fear of him could have been created by a different action, maybe just physical abuse, like a punch to the gut or something. I will be labeling the three section's where Linda's assault takes place. If you would like to know the details of the assault or the passages prior to reading you may email me.

-Section Ants, chapters 18-19
-Section Halloween Comes Early, end of chapter 1 (a comment she makes in her head)
-Section Halloween Comes Early, chapter 6 (Carter's comment on Linda's pants)

My rating: I have given it a four star rating. This is only because of the second sexual abuse and the *trigger warning/suicide* suicide of Sammy in the hospital. I felt like I would have liked her to stay with Little Walter longer, and not kill herself, however, I liked how she took out two of her abusers before she went. That was the only nice touch. If those two factors were not in the book, I would have given it five stars.

From what I remember the TV series didn't have the sexual assault, but I could be wrong and it comes later after I stopped watching. I'm going to give the show another go if I can find a place to stream it online.

Have you read these books? Did you watch the show? What did you think? Let's talk in the comments!

À bientôt!

Photo/Gif creds: book jacket, my selfie with the books and my photo of the covers together

NaNoWriMo 2017

As some of you who follow my writing twitter (@mlettewritings), you know that I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this year. This is the first year that I have ever done this, and let me just tell you that I am very proud of myself and what I have accomplished in the last month.

In case you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, let me explain it a little further. National Novel Writing Month takes place in November every year. Writers from all over the world take the time in October to set themselves up to write, and they start by declaring a novel on the NaNoWriMo site. Once a novel is declared and November starts, writers are given to the last minute of November 30th to write 50,000 words. Now, some people don't complete this goal, and that's fine. NaNoWriMo is mostly about the spirit of writing, and not the goals.

They share pep talks from published authors and ML's from your area (mine is my state of New Hampshire) to give you little moments of inspiration throughout the month and so much more. When you hit a certain number of words you get sent an email with the achievement, and it comes with a little idea to put into the book. I have saved all of these emails because I plan to use all the suggestions in my book, no matter when I finish it.

My total word count: 50,114!!!  I won!

I didn't think that I would get this far at all. I started writing this blog post when I was about 6,000 words behind the goal, and I was ready to finish it talking about how I'm proud of the progress I got done even though I didn't win, but here I am now. How was I, with so many things to do this month and a Thanksgiving break with sometimes non-existent WiFi, able to write over 50,000 words!?

Well, I'll tell you. I wrote all the time. In class, between class, when I should have been doing some of my homework assignments but chose to move them to a later date because they weren't too pressing, and even at work when things slowed down. I never stopped writing. I updated my word count at night right before midnight would strike. And I was always proud of what I was able to accomplish.

I started November with a rough outline and idea of what I wanted to write. And the words just flew out of me. The story just appeared on the pages before me. I'm not even done with the story. I still have so much to do. I have the big drama to write, the final battle, and the love story that my story needs.  Below I will put the synopsis of my novel, titled 'Friendly Fear' and the cover art that I made, I worked really hard on both so please be gentle with me.

Synopsis of Friendly Fear:
Young Joan is saved from the lab she was raised in by a group of mercenaries that are anything but merciless.  She’s a special woman, there is no name for her.  She controls all the elements and when pushed to her breaking point, is a weapon of mass destruction.
   Joan joins up with the mercenaries, but things go quickly awry when the ones who experimented on her her whole life learn she didn’t survive the fire, and they want her back, or dead.
   This novel will explore how a young woman learns to accept herself and learn she is more than her powers, as well as learning more about herself personally through the trust and caring nature of her new found family.

I updated my novel last night, and then posted the photos all over my social media besides Instagram which I will be doing today. Then I went to bed, happy with myself and chugging some water because I was dehydrated. When I woke up this morning I logged on and saw this when I went to my novels page:

Seeing that big winner ribbon my novel made me smile so big it hurt my face. This was a goal of mine since I heard about NaNo. I have about 105 pages of story, and I have so many pages left to do. And I can only say thank you to NaNoWriMo, thank you to my friend Victoria for introducing me to the site last year, and thank you to all my friends and family who cheered me on this month and told me that I could do it. I may have not believed in myself when I was behind, but I managed to get behind my keyboard on the 30th and write 5,890 words, my wordiest day this year.

I don't know where I got the strength to do this, where I got the energy to write every day when I had the time, but I did and I just can't stop saying this, but I am so proud of myself. I look forward to the next years that I am able to do NaNoWriMo. I'm already starting to think if doing it next November while abroad would be an option for me because I loved it so much.

Here's to me writing more and starting the publishing route. Did you participate in NaNo? What was your word count? Was it your first time? Let's chat in the comments.

Here is the certificate PDF that I was given when I finished. This is so pretty and official I love it so much:

À bientôt!

Photo creds: all photos came from the NaNo website and screenshots of my account page, cover was made in my Canva account,