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,
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