October 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Yet another month has flown by!

Between the cooling weather, beautiful changing leaves, warm sweaters and boots, and pumpkins galore, October is my favorite month of the entire year. It is also the perfect time to curl up with a good (preferably dark or spooky) book. Fall always makes me feel particularly inspired to both read and work on my own writing; I get some of my best work done in these cooler months.

Since I am very much a mood reader, I find that I can never follow an exact reading list for a long period of time. For me, a TBR ends up being more of a guideline than something set in stone; a record of titles to help me prioritize my insanely massive collection of unread books.

I am still planning on finishing up a few that I did not get to last month, so I definitely will not be able to get to everything on this list. But these are the books that I am currently most eager to get to and/or really feeling in the mood to read, and I’m hoping to get to quite a few of them.

On a brief side note, I did not feel like I had enough to say in a wrap up this past month, so I plan on doing a dual one at the end of October!

The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

This is the book that I am currently reading, so it will be my first read of the month. I was sent this book for review, and so far I’ve really been enjoying it. I plan on finishing it up in the next couple of days, and there will be a review going up on here very soon after!

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

This is a high priority read on my TBR for the month. I picked this book up and started it right when it was first released back in May. However, I ended up getting sidetracked with other books that I had either already started or was particularly excited to get to, so I ended up putting it aside for a while. Before that, I was really enjoying the story, so I would very much like to finish it up sometime this month.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I find that, during the fall and winter, I tend to be particularly in the mood to read a good fantasy novel, as well as some lengthier books. This definitely falls into both of those categories. I have completely fallen in love with the television show over the past few months, and that has made me very motivated to read the actual novels themselves. So, between that and the weather, I am finally read to brave these 800+ pages! Or at least get started on them…

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The Throne of Glass series is a series that I absolutely need to get started on! I’ve had this book for about a year now and I still have yet to get going on it. As I said, I’m definitely in the mood to read some fantasy right now, and this seems like it will be exactly what I am looking for. I have heard some mixed reviews about this first book, but overall positive thoughts about the series (so far) as a whole, so I am really hoping that I will enjoy these novels.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved a good retelling. The Wrath and the Dawn sounds as if it will be exactly that. I must admit I was a bit on the fence about it at first because, though retellings are wonderful, there have been a lot releasing lately and I’m finding that some of them are become too repetitive or generic. This one, however, I keep seeing and hearing almost solely positive reviews about, so I’m actually really looking forward to it, and I believe it will have that dark tone that I’m in the mood for this month.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious has been a high priority book for me ever since I first discovered it earlier this year, and it was at the top of my Fall TBR list. Nevertheless, somehow, I still have not yet gotten around to it. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and Victoria Schwab’s work in general, and I am absolutely determined to read this novel by the end of the month!

The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

This is a book that I have not heard much of anything about. I found it at the bookstore a few months back and the cover caught my eye instantly; it has a creepy, gothic type art style, which I love. As soon as I read the description, I thought it sounded like the kind of story I would enjoy, so I grabbed a copy, but I’ve been putting it off to use as an October/Halloween read. I’m definitely looking forward to finally getting to this novel and seeing what it’s all about.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This is another book that I purchased a copy of a long time ago and have been saving to use as an October/Halloween read. I am a massive fan of Neil Gaiman; he is one of my all-time favorite authors and a huge inspiration to me in my own writing. This is one of the few novels by him that I have not read yet, and I am very eager to get into it. I know that I will love it and it will fit the season perfectly!

My Most Anticipated Releases of October:

Binge by Tyler Oakely

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

What’s on your TBR for October, and what are you most looking forward to reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

30Sep2015

Top 5 Wednesday – September 30th, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Gingerreadslainey. Every week, book reviewers all over the world are given a bookish topic and respond with their top 5 books (or elements of books) that relate to that topic. Click here for the Goodreads group if you would like to learn more about Top 5 Wednesday and join in!

Since we are in the middle of Banned Books Week (September 27^th-October 3^rd), this week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is the top 5 banned books you’ve read. I am extremely grateful to have grown up around people who love reading equally as much as I do, and who always encouraged me to read anything and everything.

And that is exactly what I did! During my childhood, I read any book I could get my hands on, and I still do that to this day. My reading has never been censored; therefore, I have read not only a lot of books in general, but also a lot of banned books. It was a hard list to narrow down, but here are some of my all-time favorite novels.

1984 by George Orwell

Banned/challenged for sexually explicit content and its social and political themes.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Banned/challenged for sexually explicit content and offensive language.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Banned/challenged for offensive language and violence.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Banned/challenged for occult/Satanism, violence, religious views, and for being anti-family.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Banned/challenged for offensive language and racism.

This is only a very small fraction of the long list of books that have been banned over the years. It is a shame to see so many beautiful and important books being challenged and banned. These are books that educate us and shape our world. These are books that captivate and inspire millions of people. So I encourage all of you to be a book rebel! Go pick up a banned book, this week and any week.

What banned books have you guys read? Let me know some of your favorites in the comments!

-Ariana

27Sep2015

Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read

Posted in Miscellaneous by TheQuirkyBookNerd

At this point, I think the fact that I love making lists has been properly established. Let’s make another one!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about two things: books I have yet to read and the size of my TBR pile. I personally tend to take a lot of pride in the fact that I love to read and in the amount of books that I consume on a regular basis. I also enjoy the fact that I have a wide literary knowledge. As readers yourselves, I’m sure you know the feeling; each book read is like a new badge of honor we get to pin on our shirts.

And though it may seem silly, I think a lot of avid readers can identify with the slight feeling of pressure to read certain novels. These can either be novels that are considered to be “classics” and expected to be in the repertoire of any proclaimed bibliophile, or they can be novels that are simply wildly popular within the book community. Either way, we feel that, to fully embrace our bookishness, we should read these stories.

Truthfully, it’s completely ridiculous to feel pressured into reading something; there is absolutely no set of rules or reading requirements you have to meet to be a true booklover. But even though I don’t particularly feel like I have to read certain books, there are still a few I have been meaning to read and am totally ashamed, as a book nerd, that I haven’t yet.

Since my TBR has been getting out of control, I figured it was about time to take myself on a bit of a guilt trip. So today, I thought I would make up a list of the books that I can’t believe I haven’t read yet.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors, and he made this classic story into an absolutely spectacular film (which I have seen far too many times to count). Even though I am definitely a hopeless romantic, when it comes to books, I tend to not be the biggest romance fan, or at least to be very picky about romance in novels. But this is one of my favorite romantic tales and I need to read it soon.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

This is a classic story and was one of my all-time favorite movies growing up. I finally bought myself a copy of this book, and am incredibly eager to read it. I can’t wait to see how the book compares to the movie, and to experience this story again in a whole new way.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I have actually not yet read a book by John Green. This is relatively awkward being an avid reader and a (ahem…quite frequent…) viewer of Youtube videos. Frankly, I think the main reason I haven’t gotten around to reading this yet is the daunting amount of mental and emotional preparation I will need to go through before doing so! In other words: I am not ready for the feels!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I am incredibly ashamed to admit that I have never read a book by J.R.R Tolkien, nor have I seen any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit films. As a fantasy lover and book/movie nerd, not to mention an aspiring author and filmmaker, I need to rectify this immediately!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

This is an incredibly popular novel and one that I have been very interested to read for a while now. I know a bit about this man’s story, and what he experienced and survived during and after World War II is absolutely astonishing and inspiring. I know that this will be a difficult read, but I also think it is an extremely important read, and I hope to get to it soon.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

I’ve already touched on my guilt about not having read this book in my last Top 10 Tuesday post, but I felt it still deserved to be put on this list. Though I’ve been interested to read this story for ages, I’ve never gotten around to picking it up. This is one that I hope to check off my reading list before the end of the year.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

This is a novel I really should have read already…because school! However, I ended up missing it due to changing schools between ninth and tenth grade. Even though I always hear very mixed opinions of it, this is definitely a story that sounds intriguing to me and I want to give it a try.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This is another one that I somehow missed out on reading in school. As both a book lover and a writer, I’ve desperately wanted to read a Steinbeck novel for years now, but have not yet. Definitely high priority on my TBR.

Misery by Stephen King

Even though I have only read one book and a few short stories by him, Stephen King is a favorite author of mine, and a big inspiration for my own writing. This is another case of a book that I have not read that was a favorite movie of mine growing up. Misery is an absolutely fantastic story (and film), and it is completely outrageous that I haven’t gotten around to actually reading it yet!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is by far the most embarrassing unread book that I have on my TBR. It was always an option on summer reading lists in my later years of school and I’ve seen the movie (yes, I saw it before reading the book. Bad Ari!), but I still have not read it. I do, however, leave it sitting among my other books in a way where I can easily see it every day and feel the shame. I am absolutely determined to get to this book before the end of the year!

What popular books have you been meaning to read but haven’t gotten around to yet? Do we have any in common? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

23Sep2015

Top 5 Wednesday – September 23rd, 2015

Posted in Top 5 Wednesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

This week’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is our top five favorite title fonts on book covers. The design of a cover is extremely important because it is the first impression that a potential reader gets, and is what will inspire them to learn more about the actual novel itself. We may not entirely judge a book by its cover, but it definitely plays a significant role in the book selection process of all readers.

As both a reader and an artist, I have always enjoyed every aspect of a novel, from the cover to the layout to the actual text of the story. I will admit, covers are very important to me and I can get pretty picky when choosing what edition I want to buy. I also happen to be a huge typography nerd, so I love covers with unique and beautiful title fonts.

It was tough to chose, but here are a few of the books that I think have both distinctive and gorgeous title fonts!

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

The Assassin’s Apprentice/Royal Assassin/Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

Jackaby/Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Cinder/Scarlet/Cress/Winter by Marissa Meyer

What are your favorite book title fonts? Let me know in the comments!

-Ariana

22Sep2015

Top 10 Tuesday – September 22nd, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week’s topic is the top ten books on your fall TBR. This was a difficult list to make because my TBR is so massive. It was hard to choose which ones I want to read first since I am so eager to read them all. And I think I have also managed to come to the conclusion that I have a bit of a book-buying problem…but you can never have too many books! Right?

Anyway, though it was tough to choose just ten, here is a list of the books on my TBR that I am most excited to get to this season.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Frankly, I can’t believe that I haven’t read this novel yet. Or a Victoria Schwab novel in general, for that matter. I have been hearing so many wonderful things about her books, and I am interested to see what I think of them. Also, a comic-book style novel about super powered archenemies? Why has it taken me so long to get around to this?

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

If you couldn’t already tell from my recent posts, I have recently become a massive Gillian Flynn fan. I read Gone Girl earlier this year and I plan on starting Dark Places this month. So of course, this is also on the top of my TBR, and I would really like to get to it before the end of the year. Even though I run the risk of going into Gillian Flynn book withdrawal!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I’ve recently been making my way through the television series and I am completely hooked! This is a book series that I have been meaning to start for a while, and since I am enjoying the show, I’m even more eager to jump into the novels. I have a good feeling that I am going to love these stories.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This is yet another book that I have had on my list for a long time and I can’t believe I haven’t gotten to it yet. I have only ever heard extremely positive things about this novel, and it sounds like the perfect story for a nerd like me! This is definitely a high priority read on my TBR.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I have wanted to start the Throne of Glass series for a long time now, so I am determined to begin it this fall. This sounds like an incredible fantasy series and I think these stories will be right up my alley. I’d like to get caught up on it as soon as possible!

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

I’ve been really enjoying reading retellings lately, and this is one that I am looking forward to. It is based off of One Thousand and One Nights, which is story that I am not too familiar with, and the premise sounds so intriguing. This is another high priority read for me.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Flowers for Algernon was typically an option on the list of books we chose from for summer reading in school, and I always meant to get to it. But for some reason, I never chose it and I finished school without having read it; on top of that, my dad has been highly recommending this to me for a while now. I recently picked up a copy and I would like to get to it in the next few months.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

I began this series earlier this year and I am hoping to finish Cress up soon so I can read Winter when it is released. So of course this is on my TBR! I am absolutely loving this series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes and how it wraps up.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I’ve been working my way through the Sherlock Holmes novels, but so far I’ve only read two of the short story collections. I would like to give one of the standalone novels a try, and I figured I might as well start at the beginning. I’m excited to see how I like this and how the full novels compare to the short stories.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is a book that I took a bit of a risk on and purchased recently. I’ve read one of Maggie Stiefvater’s novels before and I was not a fan of it. However, I did like her writing style and I have been hearing a lot of great things about this series. This does sound like I story that I might end up really enjoying so I figured I would give it a try.

Let me know in the comments what books are at the top of your fall TBR!

-Ariana

18Sep2015

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Posted in Book Reviews by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My Rating: 5/5 TARDISes

Series: Standalone

Date Published: June 5^th, 2012

Publisher: Crown Publishers

Pages: 419 pages

Source: Purchased

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media–as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents–the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter–but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

____________________________________________________________________

This is a spoiler-free review.

Gone Girl is an incredibly well crafted, captivating mystery. With an ingenious plot and many intriguing characters, Gillian Flynn creates a fantastically twisted and unpredictable novel. As I am finding, it is an extremely hard book to review without spoilers, though I am giving it my best shot. I am a huge fan of crime and mystery novels, so I knew going in that this would be an enjoyable read for me; however, I did not expect to love it quite as much as I did. I ended up absolutely adoring every aspect of this book, and just this one novel has already made me a major Gillian Flynn fan.

Though this is a fantastic read no matter what, going into this novel knowing next to nothing about the story would be the best way to go about it. Flynn has skillfully constructed an exceedingly complex plot, with an astonishing amount of layers that unfold slowly as it progresses. There are so many different threads, going off in all directions, which are brought back together in the end and connected to each other. I was amazed by how carefully created the storyline was; how even the smallest elements addressed early in the novel had played a significant role by the end. As a writer myself, I truly admire the amount of cleverness and expert planning that must have gone into the assembling of this narrative.

In my opinion, one of the most impressive aspects of this novel is how frighteningly realistic everything is. The scenarios are outrageous, but they never get to the point of being unbelievable; they are unlikely, uncommon, but humanly possible.

Gone Girl is also full of vivid characters that add further dimension to the plot, many times due to their unreliability. Almost all of the characters that are central to the telling of the story have their own secrets that they are keeping from each other, as well as the reader. We are typically trained to trust the narrator in the stories that we read, but in this novel, it quickly becomes clear that this is not something that can be done.

This is not a story of good versus evil. All of the characters have their faults; all of them are in the wrong in some way or another. No one person is entirely likeable or worthy of full sympathy, and that is what ends up making all of them so enjoyable and interesting. They add further mystery and intrigue to the narrative, and their lack of truthfulness keeps the reader on their toes, wondering whether or not to trust.

Tying in with what I said earlier about realism in the plot, these characters do outrageous things to each other and to hide incriminating facts, however they are extremely believable. It never reaches a point where you are questioning their ability to pull off what they do. You may wonder how people could do such things; how they could get to the point where they feel they need to behave this way. But nothing is ever an unrealistic feat, and recognizing this makes the overall story even more unnerving.

And now we come to my absolute favorite part about this novel: the writing style. I completely fell in love with Flynn’s writing style and felt that it carried me seamlessly through the novel. She does a fantastic job of setting the tone, and her words flow consistently well throughout. She captures the voices of her characters perfectly, and paints a very sharp and chilling picture.

Suffice it to say, I loved this book and very highly recommend giving it a try. This is by far one of the most well-written and expertly plotted novels that I have ever read. It was a fast-paced, disturbing, and startling read, that had me completely captivated from page one. It takes a lot of skill to construct something like this, and I am incredibly impressed by her talent as a writer. Gillian Flynn has created a masterpiece.

15Sep2015

Top 10 Tuesday – September 15th, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

It’s Tuesday once again, and that means it’s time for another Top 10 Tuesday list. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

This week was a freebie, so we were able to select our own topics for our lists. I wanted to do something related to my favorite novels; however, I didn’t want to simply make a list of them. It took me a while to come up with a topic, but I finally decided on listing my top 10 favorite Sherlock Holmes stories that I have read so far.

I attempted to read one of the Sherlock Holmes novels when I was far too young, and I ended up not liking it. So for a long time, I put off reading any of the others. I even stayed away from any movies and television shows based on the stories, as I was certain that I would not like them. Boy was I wrong!

(This may or may not also be how I react when people say they don’t like Sherlock Holmes…)

Last year, after completely falling in love with the BBC television series, I decided to give them another try, starting with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. And thus, the obsession began. I’ve only read two of the novels so far, but they have become two of my all-time favorite books. These stories are so captivating and such a joy to read; I’ve been flying through them. I went from thinking I didn’t like these novels to, every time I am about to pick one up, reacting somewhat like this:

Now, without further ado, here is the list of my top 10 favorite Sherlock Holmes stories (in no particular order)!

Silver Blaze (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes)

In this story, Holmes is called in to investigate the disappearance of a famously talented racehorse right before an important race, as well as the coinciding murder of the horse’s trainer. I was completely absorbed in this horse’s tale, and loved the many bewildering events and layers in the storyline; like many of the tales, it was not at all a straightforward plot. In my opinion, there is also a particularly good depiction of both Holmes’s and Watson’s individual talents.

The Red Headed League (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

This is the story of a man who comes to Holmes for advice after he receives a peculiar, high paying job, solely due to the fact that his hair is the perfect shade of red. There are a number of stories throughout these collections that center around people being hired under perplexing or suspicious circumstances; for some reason, they always tend to be my favorites. The outrageous situations are so intriguing, and I love trying to guess why the employers have created these jobs.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

Here, Holmes is approached by an acquaintance after the man finds the Countess of Morcar’s priceless blue carbuncle in the throat of his Christmas goose. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle is one of my top favorites because of the wittiness of the storyline and dialogue.

The Man with the Twisted Lip (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

In The Man with the Twisted Lip, the wife of a missing businessman comes to Holmes after she thinks she has seen her husband looking out the window of a nearby opium den. This was a very engaging story with lots of twists (no pun intended!) and turns. Not only did I love the resolution to this mystery, but it was also one of the few that I was able to solve myself!

The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

In The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, a woman asks for Holmes’s help after taking a job as a governess that comes with some unusual requirements regarding her appearance and daily routine. I found this case to be extremely complex and well plotted, and I had no idea where the story was headed; I was completely puzzled up until the very end.

The Adventure of the Yellow Face (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes)

In this case, a man hires Holmes to discover, by any means necessary, why his wife keeps secretly and frequently visiting a nearby cottage. I enjoyed this because I found the themes that it dealt with to be uncharacteristic of the stories thus far and, delightfully, dealt with in a very open-minded way that was surprising for the time period this was published in. It was quite a unique story and had a very touching ending. It is also one of the few cases that Holmes does not solve correctly, and contains one of my favorite quotes: “Watson, if it should ever strike you that I am getting a little overconfident in my powers, or giving less pains to a case than it deserves, kindly whisper ‘Norbury’ in my ear, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.”

A Scandal in Bohemia (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

Holmes is hired to stop the woman who is blackmailing the King of Bohemia, and thus save his upcoming marriage from being called off. This is the story that introduces the iconic character, Irene Adler, a woman who very nearly matches Holmes on intelligence and quick-wittedness. Watching them face off was utterly fascinating.

A Case of Identity (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

This story has another theme that is common among these accounts: the disappearance of a significant other. Here, a woman’s husband makes her promise to remain faithful to him no matter what, then disappears later that morning, which just so happens to be their wedding day. I loved this one because not only was I puzzled all the way through, but the revelation at the ending was absolutely shocking.

The Adventure of the Speckled Band (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

Arguably the most well known of the Sherlock Holmes short stories, The Adventure of the Speckled Band tells the story of a woman who enlists Holmes to solve the mystery of her sister’s sudden death in the night. She believes her stepfather to be the murderer, and that she herself will be the next victim. Not only is this a bizarre and enthralling adventure, this was the first of the short stories that I read, and I credit it with making me decide to give these stories another try.

The Final Problem (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes)

This is the first story to introduce another iconic character: Holmes’s arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. It is also the first story to make me cry. A criminal mastermind with an intellect on par with his own, Moriarty was Holmes’s greatest adversary. The pair matches wits as Holmes attempts to bring him and his organization to justice, but neither can best the other. This causes a stalemate, which ends in the famed fight at the Reichenbach Falls. The Final Problem is one of the most well known Sherlock Holmes stories, so I was prepared going in. I don’t cry easily at books and movies; however, I must admit, those final couple of pages hit me right in the feels.

Well, those are my top 10 favorites so far. I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the stories! Let me know in the comments if you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and, if so, what your favorite story, movie, or television episode is.

Check out my full reviews of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes!

-Ariana

12Sep2015

Review: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

Posted in Book Reviews by TheQuirkyBookNerd

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

My Rating: 1/5 TARDISes

Series: Standalone

Date Published: August 12^th, 2014

Publisher: Soho Teen

Pages: 256 pages

Source: Library

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: National Book Award-finalist Adele Griffin tells the fully illustrated story of a brilliant young artist, her mysterious death, and the fandom that won’t let her go.

From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison’s life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28. —Adele Griffin

____________________________________________________________________

This is a spoiler-free review.

This novel is structured in a way that makes it sort of like the literary equivalent of “found footage”. It is a work of fiction, but it is written as if it were an actual biography about an up-and-coming young artist named Addison Stone, whose life ends very suddenly when she mysteriously falls from a bridge during an art installation. Adele Griffin writes as herself and functions as a journalist who is compiling this biography; she adds in short pieces written from her point of view throughout the novel. The book is comprised of interviews with a number of Addison’s family and friends, and pictures of Addison and her artwork are interspersed within the text. All of these elements are meant to work together to make the reader feel as if this might be a real account of a person’s life.

When I first discovered this book, the concept and the format it is told in piqued my interest right away. The inclusion of the photographs of and artwork by the subject of the “biography” itself further sold me on it, and I was eager to pick it up. However, while the idea was incredibly creative and the layout of the novel quite artistic, unfortunately, the story ended up falling rather flat for me. Now, this is not at all because I started out believing this was not a work of fiction; that was clear to me from the start, and did not affect the reading experience in any way. I simply felt that, while the concept was clever, it was not executed quite as well as it could have been.

It is clear that this novel is trying to address celebrity culture in today’s society, and the idealistic views that people tend to have about those in the public eye. To construct a plot that did just that, Griffin creates the tale of a person that embodies the type of celebrity that might encounter something akin to worship from their fans. And while this is a fascinating and relevant topic, everything was far too exaggerated. Instead of presenting the reader with a subtle commentary that inspires thought, the story forms characters, situations, and relationships that are far too stereotypical to be taken seriously.

Addison is too special, too perfect to be believable, thereby making it difficult to become invested in her story. Every single person who she crossed paths with throughout her short life became instantly enamored with her; they all found some reason to utterly worship her and everything she did. It was as if she could do no wrong in anyone’s eyes no matter how poorly and immaturely she acted, and this became tiring quickly.

Addison has some problems, some struggles and issues to deal with, but it’s hard to connect with and feel for her despite that. In fact, mental illness appeared to be her only “flaw” which, quite frankly, really bothered me. Overall, I was not thrilled with the way mental illness was addressed. It was not taken as seriously as it should have been, and was many times passed off as something that simply made her life into that of an alluring, tortured artist. The strange discover at the conclusion of the novel regarding one major aspect of her mental troubles also seemed to further diminish the true severity of her illness, and was very unsatisfying and nonsensical.

As a whole, many aspects of this story were very formulaic, using far too many common literary tropes. The excessive use of clichés made this story and each of the characters feel far too much like caricatures. Many aspects of the plot were too over-the-top, and I found it challenging to bring myself to care about any of the storylines.

In terms of the format of the text, the main issue I had was that it was nearly entirely told in the transcripts of the interviews that had been conducted by the narrator after Addison’s passing. This took away from the experience for me, and slowed down the plot massively. While all the writing is the work of the real-life Griffin, the fictional author is writing next to nothing, which is very unrealistic. We see a short paragraph from her a handful of times throughout the text and that is all; mainly, we are reading the exact words of the interviewees. Overall, that ended up counteracting any attempt to give this the feeling of a real biography, and made it feel more like reading paperwork rather than an intriguing account of someone’s life.

Artistically, I loved the layout of the book. My favorite part of this reading experience was seeing the way the pictures connected to various points in the plot as it unfolded. I thought this concept was incredibly inventive and unique; this is the first time I have ever come across a book like this. I had no issues with the visual format. From a design perspective, this book completely nailed it.

Overall, this had a lot of potential. Adele Griffin had a number of good thoughts and intentions in her creation of this novel, and I would definitely be interested to read one of her other novels to experience more of her writing. She had a clear and interesting point that she was trying to make, and if she had employed more subtlety in the creation of her characters and their relationships, it would have come across in a more convincing way. The book lacked depth, and ended up feeling more like a caricature than anything. Using common stereotypes, while effective when it comes to conveying the themes clearly, ends up taking away a lot of the integrity and sincerity, making it less thought provoking and believable.

8Sep2015

Top 10 Tuesday – September 8th, 2015

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by TheQuirkyBookNerd

As you can probably tell by this point, I quite enjoy making lists! I promise I’ll be doing other types of posts soon; in fact my first review will be Thursday’s post. But since it is Tuesday, I couldn’t resist giving Top 10 Tuesday a try for the first time. This is an original weekly blog meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, there is a new bookish topic for bloggers to create a list about. If you want to know more about Top 10 Tuesday, click here!

Today’s topic is the top 10 finished series that I have yet to finish. It is also my “look at all these TBR books I need to read but haven’t yet” guilt trip. Or maybe the “you need to stop buying so many books you crazy person; you’ve gone insane” list. All I can say is, I’m glad this topic is specifically finished series or we would be here all day!

Anyway, this was a fairly easy list to create because, as you will soon see, I discovered that I have way too many series that I haven’t gotten around to finishing yet. I also realized that I’m actually not in the middle of many series at the moment. So this is a mixture of series that I have already started, and ones that are simply on my TBR and that I would like to begin soon.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor

In my opinion, this is probably my most embarrassing unread series from this list because I’ve owned Daughter of Smoke and Bone since it was first released. I’ve now also recently purchased the other two books so I can marathon the trilogy. I’ve been keen to read these ever since I first heard the synopsis, and I know that I’m going to love these stories; not to mention the fact that they take place in Prague, one of my favorite places. I really need to get going on them!

The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

I read Divergent for the first time last year, and it has definitely become one of my favorite books of all time. However, I continued on to Insurgent earlier this year and it was okay, but I didn’t love it nearly as much. That, coupled with the mixed reviews I always hear about Allegiant (plus the fact that I’ve been majorly spoiled) have sort of slowed down my progress through the trilogy. I do plan on trying to finish it soon though.

The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

After reading A Monster Calls, I instantly fell in love with Patrick Ness’s writing, and I have been extremely eager to get to these books. I’ve owned the entire trilogy for a while now, but for some insane reason I have not yet started it. I need to get moving on this!

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

This one is definitely another embarrassing one since it’s a series that I’ve been meaning to read for about a decade! I finally started it at the end of last year; I’m three books in and absolutely loving it. I’ve already bought the final two and I’m hoping to finish them off this year so I can move on to The Heroes of Olympus series.

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I have been meaning to read something by Brandon Sanderson for the longest time, and the Mistborn trilogy is what has been recommended to me the most. But really, as a massive fantasy fan, it’s quite shameful that I have not yet read one of his novels! I do feel slightly less guilty about this one because I intend to read The Final Empire this month.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams

This one is just insane because I absolutely adore these stories! I’ve read the first book multiple times and seen the film more times than I can count. My dad got us a box set so we can both finish the series, and I’m hoping to continue on with it in the next month or so.

The Darkest Minds Trilogy by Alexandra Bracken

This is yet another trilogy I have, but have not gotten around to starting yet. And I cannot believe that I haven’t because it is basically everything I could ever want in a book series. These books have my name written all over them. I mean, a dystopian series about kids with super powers? Um…YES. Soon.

The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

I read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Legend last year, and my dad got me a box set of the trilogy this past Christmas. My only excuse for not having finished this trilogy already is the fact that I may or may not be slightly terrified of the feels I know are coming in the last two books. I will get through them soon though, because I am dying to know how the story ends!

The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

I’ve known about this series for a while now and I still have yet to begin it. It’s another fantasy series that I have always heard wonderful things about. I recently purchased The Demon King, and it is high up on my TBR, so I’ll hopefully be diving into it soon.

The Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi

This is a difficult one. It is another trilogy I own, and I have read the first book, but the other two remain unfinished. To be honest, I did not love Shatter Me. I had a really hard time getting into it, and I’m not in a mad rush to move on to the next book. However, I hate leaving series unfinished and I do hear that it keeps getting better, so I think I will try to finish it off at some point.

Well, as you can see, I am downright atrocious at finishing series! I think this may call for some marathons. Let me know in the comments what series you guys still need to finish.

-Ariana

6Sep2015

September 2015 TBR

Posted in Wrap Ups And TBRs by TheQuirkyBookNerd

Can you believe it’s September already? This is coming a bit late as we are already almost a week in, but I thought it would be fun to share my TBR for the month. It is a bit ambitious, and I have a feeling I won’t end up making it through all of these books by the end of the month, however, I am hoping to read a good number of them. So here’s a list of books at the top of my reading list that I plan on working on this month!

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This is the book that I’m currently working on and I am already loving it! The writing is wonderful; the story is very funny, heartfelt, and emotional. And on top of that, it’s a perfect story for book lovers and anyone who has had their lives touched by literature. I can’t wait to finish it!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

I read Cinder at the beginning of the year and completely fell in love with it, and I cannot believe I haven’t read this book yet. I’d also like to catch up on these stories so I can read Winter when it comes out at the end of the year. So it’s about time I continue on with the series!

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

This is another book that I’ve been meaning to get to for a while now. I constantly hear people raving about this trilogy, and Brandon Sanderson’s work in general, so I’m very eager to finally pick up one of his novels. Plus, I’m really in the mood for a good fantasy novel right now.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

I always love reading new authors every year, and this is one debut novel that I’ve been hearing a lot of amazing things about. The premise sounds very interesting and incredibly funny, so I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick

I am a huge fan of Brian Selznick, so of course I’m dying to pick up his newest book! His stories are always fantastic, and as a writer and artist, the format of them always intrigues me. This is coming out toward the middle of the month, and I plan on reading it right away.

Dissonance by Mariella Hunt

This is another debut novel; it just came out a few months ago and is actually written by a friend of mine. The plot sounds very interesting and I’ve read, and loved, her writing in the past, so I’m really looking forward to diving into this.

The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

This is another book by a debut author, and it’s pitched as a dark, adult fairytale, which is right up my alley. It seems like it will be a really unique story, and it sounds similar in style to Neil Gaiman’s novels, so I think this will be an enjoyable read.

Miss. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My mom and a number of my friends have been recommending this to me for a few years now so, once again, this is a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. With the final book coming out this month, and the movie in the works, I thought it would be a great time to get going on this trilogy.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Okay, so I will admit that I have been a bit nervous about reading this one. To Kill a Mockingbird is my absolute favorite book of all time, so with the very mixed reviews, and the controversy surrounding this novel, I have been hesitant. However, I have mentally prepared myself (and have To Kill a Mockingbird on hand for a cheer-up re-read if need be), so I think I’m ready. Also, I have a few family members and friends who have already told me they are waiting to hear what I think about it before they read it, so I want to get to it soon. To be honest, I think I will probably end up liking this and my fears will be for nothing.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I cannot sufficiently explain my eagerness to get to this novel! I just read Gone Girl this summer and I loved it. I am already a total Gillian Flynn fangirl. Her writing style is wonderful, and I am so impressed with her ability to create such complex and intriguing storylines and characters. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

I also plan on continuing to read a few stories out of The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

So that’s my TBR for the month. Let me know in the comments what books you guys are currently reading and/or what you are planning on reading during the month!

-Ariana

The Quirky Book Nerd

Tag Archives: The Quirky Book Nerd

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Review: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

September 2015 TBR