Tatiana and Alexander Book Review

Rawr Reader,

This is Tatiana and Alexander, also called The Bridge to Holy Cross by Paullina Simons, the second book in the Bronze Horseman trilogy. The synopsis is from Goodreads:

Tatiana is eighteen years old, pregnant, and widowed when she escapes war-torn Leningrad to find a new life in America. But the ghosts of her past do not rest easily. She becomes consumed by the belief that her husband, Red Army officer Alexander Belov, is still alive and needs her desperately.

Meanwhile, oceans and continents away in the Soviet Union, Alexander barely escapes execution, and is forced to lead a battalion of soldiers considered expendable by the Soviet high command. Yet Alexander is determined to take his men through the ruins of Europe in one last desperate bid to escape Stalin's death machine and somehow find his way to Tatiana once again.

Reference:

The first book in The Bronze Horseman trilogy. This is the second book and there's one more following.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

   Continuing on with the next book because I could not stay away, I absolutely had to know what happened.
   As I was reading it I found it harder to like than the first book. I won't say how long they're separated, but they're separated for a really long time in this book. I found the first part the hardest to read since it included flashbacks I didn't see the point for. Thankfully the author wrote the times and places at the beginning because I would've been terribly confused. This one way more than the other one is a war story. Alexander fights
   I probably disliked this book more because I felt that the author wrote a lot of things Alex did that wasn't likable or honorable to his character, things he did before he met Tania, when he was with her in Lazarevo, and his time away from her (which I didn't mind as much since he was in war and trying to stay alive). He sounded rougher and more abusive than the gentler Alex that was in the first book (and I mean to Tania, not in general-- wouldn't want to piss off this guy). I don't know if this was just because the author wanted to parallel his flashbacks with his present time in the war, because I guess it would make sense if so.
   This book is definitely more of a war-love story I think because we're taken with Alexander through war in his march across Asia and Europe, and sometimes taken back and then forward again. In the first book, we were sometimes in the battlefield with Alex but mostly we read through the spoils and effects of how the war was forcing them to live. Not so much in this book, we saw both ends, in the battlefield and then life in America where Tania had it pretty good (at least comparable to winter 1941 in Leningrad in the first book.)
   I found this book a little more sad and depressing more so because of their separation than because of the war. I think my main motivator for continuing was I wanted to see how they reunited. This is like New Moon all over again. What kept me turning the pages was I wanted to see when they would see each other again. And every time I came to a chapter and it said months later than the prior, my heart tore a little. I just hoped it wasn't going to be like 10 years later when Tania would get a letter saying he died. 
   I don't know if it was because of their separation that made this story not as enjoyable and I found a lot of moments where I backtracked to reread some of Tania's sentences. 
   One thing that I did enjoy (since it seems I disliked way more than liked) is how the author explained what Alex meant when he said "remember Orbeli―". It was later than I would have liked, but I think it makes more sense where she placed it or the book would have been shorter.
   I didn't like this book half as much as the first book, but considering this was a war story and it was needed to show both sides of it, I found it pretty good in that aspect. Throughout it all, at the end of the day, it was the undying love that prevailed. Ergo.

I give this book 3/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“We walk alone through this world, but if we're lucky, we have a moment of belonging to something, to someone, that sustains us through a lifetime of loneliness.” 

― Paullina Simons, Tatiana and Alexander

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Once by Cameron Dokey

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   I found the beginning __ pages really hard to get into. I didn't like that they were separated for most of it, and that most of it was in flashbacks. I mean, I didn't mind one or two, but after they kept coming and coming I was beginning to lose sight to what the point of those flashbacks were. The Orbeli one in which Alexander meets the art curator, I don't remember in the first book being written, so I was excited to see what happened. But then it turned out to be Alexander speaking to him right before he met Tania.
    Oh, and this book made me like Alexander less. Which made me very sad, because I loved him in The Bronze Horseman. I think it was when he met his first love so to speak, Larissa, and though they never did anything, he kept the name she wanted to call him: Shura. After reading that I was like, oh I bet he only wanted Tania to call him that because he was really wishing it was Larissa. I don't know why that bothered me more than when he was sleeping around with a million women. After reading that part, and revealing that the very morning he met Tania was when he was leading another woman out of his cabin made me like him less, and I didn't really believe the whole: "she just glowed." I guess I'm just not a fan of reading love-at-first-sight stories since there are so many.
   When I was reading the first part about his childhood in Russia and learning about his feelings for his parents, I didn't understand why he met with his father in that prison. It didn't seem like that'd be something he'd do after really getting a look into his past. 
  Anyone else have trouble with Anthony's age? I don't remember which chapter but I remember Tania saying he was 2.5 years old and when I read that scene I couldn't believe that he was really that age. She said that she was taking him to school and he was mad at her for something so he squared his shoulders and then walked into the school. And then he said something that sounded too mature for his age (nothing with big words but he spoke in proper sentences and stuff.) 
   Also I didn't understand why her son's English was more correct than hers, she didn't develop with her English in the four years she'd been speaking it. Whenever she was talking to Vikki or Edward or Sam, her English would forget a verb or a adjective or something and I didn't understand why. It probably wouldn't have bothered me as much but since a lot of characters she met kept telling her her English was good but I kept reading these sentences where if I was listening to her, I'd be correcting incessantly. 
   Three years! ... Three years!! This was like New Moon all over again (except way longer). Like I said in my review I didn't want it to be 10 years later when they finally saw each other, because then it would've been they were together in their youth and in their old age, what about the middle and raising the kid?? Thankfully it wasn't that long-- only 3 years. I could take that. What made it seem shorter was I remembered watching The Notebook and the main girl was telling the guy she waited for him for 7 years. After that, this didn't seem so bad. Considering.
   Oh, can I call on Pasha? I stopped reading for a break a page before he returned and when I read it. Ha! called it! Well, technically at first I was like who's Metanov? (I was watching Game of Thrones which has about a million and a half of characters so I forgot). Then Alex was like, Pavel "Pasha" Metanov? From there I got it. And when he died, my heart broke. Especially when Alex and Ouspensky just ended up returning back to Colditz Castle. Come on!


Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel

The Bronze Horseman Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   I've been in a reading slump lately so I'm really hoping this book is as good as I keep hearing it is. This is a review on The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, the synopsis provided by Goodreads:

The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana--and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects--a secret as devastating as the war itself--as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

Reference:

I heard about this book from the booktuber LittleBookOwl.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

    How do I find the words to articulate my feelings? Oh that's right-- I can't. Because this book is impossible to without being on some way connected to something-- anything. I'm not really sure what I was getting at, but it's just hard to sum up my feelings. I was completely hooked the entire time, every single turn of the page page, every second of their lives and mine; when Tatiana and Alexander were together, when they were apart, when they were together but apart... Ahhh amore. 
   Alright, for those not familiar with this title, and for those who didn't meticulously admire the cover like I did, this is in fact a love story. In the city of Leningrad, on June 22, 1941, two Russians, sixteen (soon to be seventeen) year old Tatiana and twenty-two year old Alexander, a lieutenant in Russia's Red Army, fall in love. Or that's what all people do apparently when they see their "potential" soul mate. That sounds harsh, but I mean it with a hint of humor and lots of love. But seriously, I really can't find anything I don't like about this book. 
    I've skimmed through reviews of people who didn't like this book and I found that some people found everything too literary appropriate. What I mean is they didn't find the story enough for them, thinking the characters went through "obstacles" and trials that makes the book what it is, but simply not providing anything more. No matter, it was definitely enough for me. For 810 pages I was in 1940s Russia, side by side with Tatiana or with Alexander. They both went through so much, whether through the army for Alex or the work force/chaotic family for Tatiana. 
    I need to defend Tatiana, in the beginning she acts like a very mature child. Meaning she acts like a child when it comes to love, but when it comes to her family she's very mature. People may plague her with only flat assumptions, but I tried to picture her life. She's a 16 year old who's already working to help her family of 6 (two grandparents, two parents, and two other siblings), and she never had any experience with love or even talk about it. Or older sister of 7 years is more flimsy but she doesn't even talk about boys with even her. So I found Tatiana's hesitancy in wanting to pursue a relationship and place it above her family only natural. And if that isn't enough, her parents consider her the least important: after the favorite Pasha (her twin) the only boy in the family and after the older sister who I think went to university with their cousin (I may be wrong, I know for a fact she worked in a dentist's office). She was last and even then she was never complimented, and always did as she was told. After doing it her entire life, she could never find it in herself to be selfish and want anything for only herself. She's shy and modest and young, and by the time we reach the end we get to a confident, headstrong, mature yet caring and devoted woman. Even her voice changes, it isn't hard to believe since I was with her and saw her grow as the war continued.
   The main characters, Tatiana and Alexander, I'd have to call them my favorite literary couple I've read so far. It's probably because I was with them for about 24 hours (since that's about how long it took me to read it in 3 days) since I bled, loved, thought, ate, slept and lived with them throughout it all. Tatiana learns to grow from child to adult and by the end you won't believe that she's only eighteen, in fact, her voice doesn't even sound like hers. I had to sometimes stop and reread her dialogue and remember, "oh yeah, this is an eighteen year old saying this." Sorry for the redundancy.
    What made me hesitant for this book at first was this is was a war story. I like historical fiction, but not much a fan of war. But it had romance, it was going to be set in Russia-- a place I've never traveled to or read about before so I was interested, I'd seen many good reviews from Goodreads, I needed to give this book a chance. Well, this is a war story, it also had starvation, sickness, the inevitable death, I felt like everything was so real. Particularly the part of the book where there was famine. (Let me tell you when reading that part, I remember putting the book down and really thinking about how spoiled and how good I had it. I looked over to my dogs bowl and saw them empty, and even though it was hours before I was supposed to feed them, I filled up their bowls anyways.) I love the books that make me actually have me stop and think about life. And not just the word life when I say it so noncommittally, I mean why am I alive and what do I want it for, who do I live it for. I don't want to go on and on about that, but when a book can sneak in some existential thinking, I can't think bad about it at all.
    As for the writing, it isn't anything special. I wasn't blown away however I wasn't disappointed. I found some errors, (out of 810 pages I found like 2-3) but that's more the editor than the writer I think. It's only the story brought through the writing that makes this book so breathtaking in my opinion. All the love and triumphs and all the disasters and tragedies, I felt them all with her detail and my mind is still trying to wrap around this book. And this is just book 1 of 3. I hope to be a writer like Simons who has the talent to completely soak their reader in and really believe this person existed-- I mean character existed. I just love love love this book.     
   There was one part, where Alexander and Tatiana were writing to each other, I think I almost became close to crying. I felt my eyes get watery (which the closest that's ever happened was in The Return of the King, that one scene between Faramir and his father Denethor), but I didn't cry. Needless to say, there are many sad and tear-jerking moments. But love is worth it. I'd reread them all for love. Well doesn't that make me sound like a hopeless romantic? :P
   Probably my favorite thing about this book is that I couldn't predict what was going to happen. I read a lot so I do my fair share of predicting characters and their actions, so whenever I would and I turned out to be wrong, it just made me so much more enamored in the story. Also I'd build suspense when there was none so that made me really dive into it.
   My only regret is not marking up my favorite parts, because there were quite a few. I don't think I can try to fathom to attempt trying to explain how much I love this book. I want to reread it all (yes even the sad parts because they made the good parts twice as good). I've already got my hands on the next copy thanks to my mom, and am unsure whether to continue on or wait so I don't over do it and get tired of the story. I highly recommend this book to those who like to read romance books. Believe me, this book is as beautiful inside as it is on the out.

I give this book 5/5 stars. Hands down.

Author's Quote:

"I want to be neither with kings nor heroes, but with the queen of Lake Ilmen."
-Alexander, Paullina Simons, The Bronze Horseman

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   Can I say how much I loved Tatiana and Alexander as a couple? Ohh no, yep-- there are no words. I give them best couple award. No one else will be as perfect for them than each other. Both so stubborn yet both so willing to do what the other wants-- except Tatiana, of course.
   First thing, I know that Pasha was only in the first 30 pages or so, but even after finishing anyone else feel like he's going to miraculously come back? I mean, none of the characters saw him die and it was always just assumed. I really would like to see Tatiana somehow reunite with him, or maybe her grandma Babushka. Seriously, it was getting really depressing in the second part when the first winter came and everyone kept dropping like flies. At first it was the dad, then it was Marina's mom, Marina, the mom, Deda, the neighbors. The only one who survived was Slavin who was just a creeper. Then when they finally left Leningrad, Dasha died. 
   I didn't really feel that sad when she did, because she was just selfish and blind as Marina told her she was. She never really cared about Tatiana's feelings and never did anything for her unless Alex asked her to. When Tania ran away in the beginning to find her brother, Dasha only went to Alex I think just to see him. Her death gave Tania the courage to finally think of herself and move on. 
    There are four parts to this book, for the eyes who haven't read the book:
 1. Tatiana and Alexander meet (summer 1941); he reveals he's American (a little important fact for later); she runs away to find her bro and in the mean time learns how to be a nurse; he rescues her from near death and their clandestine affair begins
 2. the first winter; Tania and Alex affair is harder to hide with Marina leaving hints that Dasha is missing the big picture; Alex helps Tania and Dasha escape Leningrad; Tania's and Alex's affair "ends" with a harsh farewell (Alex tells Dasha that he's never loved Tania and doesn't even look back to her which pretty much breaks Tania's heart);  Alex returns back to Leningrad (December 1941)
 3. 6 months later (summer 1942) they reunite in Lazarevo (both thinking the other dead); they marry; their life together (meaning, a lot of the sex). Alex returns back to the army after a month off from his furlough.
 4. Tania returns back to Leningrad to help the wounded but also to be closer to Alex; Alex is wounded and Tania cares for him (actually she saves his life). reveals Tania's pregnant; they plan to escape to America, but complications with Dimitri who's appeared arbitrarily in part 2 and 3, tries to blackmail Alex to getting only them two to leave and leave Tania behind (very wrong decision, Alex breaks his arm and beats him up); Dr. Sayers helps Alex fake his death to convince Tania to leave; Dimitri unfortunately tags along; they're almost out until someone Dimitri ripped off recognizes him and calls him out, there's a fight and Sayers and Dimitri dies; Tania eventually gets to America where their son is born: Anthony Alexander Barrington.
   
    I'm really interested how the next book is going to play out (I've just started it). They're separated, Alex is still in Russia and now Tania is with a baby boy in America. I'm disheartened to think that the majority of this book they're going to be separated, I really hope not. But the booktuber I heard this from said they really liked the ending of this book, so it's giving me incentive.
   I want to list some of my favorite parts, but it's pretty much when Alex and Tania were just together being themselves-- not hiding from everyone else. But one of my favorite, favorite parts that I thought the sweetest moment between them was in the first part when Alex just rescued Tania and he's trying to give her a bath to clean her up but she's so modest and shy and wounded and he's all sweet and gentle. Haha in my head I was like he's probably thinking, "girl you haven't got anything I haven't seen before!" I mean, c'mon, Alex is such a flirt (until he lays eyes on Tania *sighs*). 


Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel

The End of Mr. Y Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   I'm trying to read books in order that I get them, but also to keep myself from reading all books in a series at once and getting tired of them (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, A Song of Fire and Ice, Mortal Instruments), I'm switching in between stand alones and books in other series. This is The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas and the synopsis is from Goodreads:

A cursed book. A missing professor. Some nefarious men in gray suits. And a dreamworld called the Troposphere?

Ariel Manto has a fascination with nineteenth-century scientists; especially Thomas Lumas and The End of Mr. Y, a book no one alive has read. When she mysteriously uncovers a copy at a used bookstore, Ariel is launched into an adventure of science and faith, consciousness and death, space and time, and everything in between.

Seeking answers, Ariel follows in Mr. Y's footsteps. She swallows a tincture, stares into a black dot, and is transported into the Troposphere; a wonderland where she can travel through time and space using the thoughts of others. There she begins to understand all the mysteries surrounding the book, herself, and the universe. Or is it all just a hallucination?

Reference:

I heard about this book from the booktuber Astridthebooktuber.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read the book yet)

   I found the premise of this book very intriguing. A book that is known for having a reputation as being "cursed," since everyone who read the book died. So when our protagonist Ariel stumbles upon possibly the only surviving copy arbitrarily, she gives away most of the rest of her month's spending money on it. From then on, the adventure begins. Once she starts reading, so do we. And we as the reader aren't getting third part accounts of what happens, the author places parts of the story alongside the story we're already reading and it beautifully shows the versatility of voices Thomas can write. 
   I was a little surprised to find this book very prominent in philosophical discussions and stream of consciousness monologues. And for some odd reason, it didn't bore me. It was perhaps that I was excited to be reading it that I found it more interesting than normal. Regardless, this book was really easy to read (for a philosophically dominant story). 

    I wrote those two paragraphs before finishing it because I was bored and wanted to say something about the book that I liked. Which wasn't even a lot. However, for the majority of this book I was in extreme discomfort. I was left with the impression that the author wanted to debate about this existential/scientific hypotheses/philosophical theories and dogmas (not prominently but slightly) but was never able to so decided to incorporate a story around it so that she could sell it. At first I was impressed by Ariel's character and all she knew, but then I come to think maybe this was just the author showing off. I know this is fiction and I've never read any other books by Thomas so I may be just saying this too harshly, but I couldn't find myself enjoying it after a point. My favorite parts were the chapters or scenes that revolved around Mr. Y or around Ariel's life because simply: I understood what was going on. 
   This book became way too philosophical for me and I was prepared for more mystery or fantasy. Also I thought the writing was going to blow me away but there were countless times I breezed through the pages because I had no idea what was going on, the writing was clearly stream of consciousness and I don't enjoy those types of stories. It reminded me a little of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundra, however I followed this story more. 
   I didn't connect with any of the characters, real or otherwise, and it's difficult to articulate my feelings for this book at all. I equally enjoyed and hated this book. And unless you're into reading books that predominately focus on different philosophies or scientific theories, I wouldn't read this book. But for most readers who enjoy a straightforward adventure/mystery/romance/etc story, this book is not for you. I don't think I'd read it again, but if I did it would only be to understand what the hell Ariel was talking about most of the time.
   It's sad that this book which is 399 pages took me the same amount of time to finish that it took me to finish Game of Thrones which is 807 pages... I'm clearly more of a fantasy reader than philosophy and science. Ha ha...
   I think I just need someone to explain this book to me because I'm pretty sure if I tried rereading it I would come out with the same questions.

I give this book 3/5 stars. I want to give it 2 stars since I didn't enjoy it for the most part, but I really thought the world Thomas made was very clever and I couldn't give it less stars for it. However it didn't mean I liked this book overall.

Author's Quote:

“Real life is physical. Give me books instead. Give me the invisibility of the contents of books, the thoughts, the ideas, the images. Let me become part of a book. . . . an intertextual being: a book cyborg, or, considering that books aren't cybernetic, perhaps a bibliorg.”

-Scarlett Thomas, The End of Mr. Y

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   The Troposphere in general I thought was probably the most mind-blowing idea I've ever read in a book, or one that I've attempted to understand. I really enjoyed the concept and how Thomas was able to create that world outside of our world but still in it. I can't even explain it. Thought can't equal matter but matter equals thought. Then thought equals time? Or something like that. Too confusing.
   I really wanted to dislike Ariel since she seemed to do everything wrong, but like this book I'm just indifferent with her. I couldn't clear up an age with her. At first I thought mid to late twenties, but then she said Adam was too young-- so then it made me guess she was older thirties. But then she called Patrick and Burlem old for being in their fifties. Thomas needed to clear that up...
   Also when she wrote her characters speaking, there'd be back and forth dialogue and I'd get confused who was speaking so I'd have to back track a while until I found a "Ariel says" or "he says."
   There were a lot of jumps for me that I didn't understand at all and was left completely in the dark. Was Mr. Y really just Thomas Lumas and he just made up Mr. Y as a pseudonym? Also near the end, I thought Ariel was in a coma-- all of a sudden she left the motel/bar where she was in a coma then she magically ends up at Burlem's door. And I was confused on how the Project Starlight got the formula in the first place to go into the Troposphere, as well with the KIDS. And why did Apollo Smintheus want to free the mice? AND how was Ariel able to just descend into the Troposphere without taking the formula. I have many more things I could ask I did not understand but those were the big ones that I could think of.


Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel

The Lightning Thief Book Review

Rawr Reader,

     After finishing the behemoth Game of Thrones, I figured I'd take a break from an epic and pick up on a middle school series which I hear nothing but fantastic things, The Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. And I enjoyed the humor in the movie. I'm very intrigued by Greek mythology so I figured no matter what, I think I'm going to like this book. This synopsis of The Lightning Thief is provided by Goodreads:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Reference:

The movie! Which I loved... don't judge me! *she whispered to herself*

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book)

   What I liked, what I liked, what I liked... Where to begin? Greek mythology has always been fascinating to me and I love learning about the gods and demigods and all of their conquests and deceptions. And honestly I don't know how accurate the monsters and "histories" are, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. And now after finishing the book, I understand why everyone hated the movie, it was sooo off. 
   This series is targeted for middle schoolers, which I knew, but I should've known that I shouldn't have gone into it right after reading the Game of Thrones. I spent about four days reading GoT, enjoying every single minute of it. Then I jumped into another series and am smacked in the face with the fact that not every book is like that. Now I don't know if it's because I already knew a little bit about how this story was going to end or just familiar with the world, I couldn't enjoy this book as much. Especially the first 150 pages, I found it only entertaining when their quest began. 
   I loved the witty moments Percy would have with all the characters, and I especially loved that he didn't exempt anyone from it. He insulted everyone! And he was a troublemaker as it was, having  low tolerance for anything that pulled his strings, changing schools constantly. And it wasn't only Percy who had a smart alec mouth, Grover and Annabelle had it too. A bunch of characters did and it made the less interesting parts a little more entertaining. My favorite sassy speaker so to speak was Mr. D. If I met him in real life I'd probably hate him, but fortunately I don't because in this story I enjoyed whenever he appeared and only wish he had a bigger role in the book. Hopefully later in the series, who knows?
   What probably makes this book so amazing I find is that these kids travel across country to these American national monuments and cities and the unexpected happens, I love that I can't predict what monsters they'll face and the places they'll go. Even though I already knew where they were going (for the most part the movie was at least slightly accurate), I still enjoyed going to the different places. 
   I do have to say though what made the beginning really unenjoyable for me were those moments when Grover and Mr. Brunner wouldn't answer Percy whenever he asked a question. I found it very distracting in the Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series whenever Clary would be cut off, almost every single time she spoke, and while Riordan didn't do that with Percy, the boy would never receive a clear answer when he asked a question. I forget which page it was, but it was just after Percy got to Camp Half-Blood, one of the counselor/teachers who was escorting Percy around wouldn't answer him, he told him it'd be explained later-- twice-- ON THE SAME PAGE. I almost pulled my hair out. Not really, but I was very annoyed. I was happy it got better later when the quest began. 
   Also something that annoyed me was Annabelle's character. She sounded so strong when it was facing Percy or Grover, but when it actually came to the action and fighting, she was weak and appeared like a scared little girl. Sorry, I needed to get that off my chest.
   Overall, this book was really fun and if I hadn't seen the movie before, I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more. Because this world that Riordan made alongside reality really is so unique and clever and enjoyable. The characters are fun and can do unexpected things or have unexpected pasts. I excited to read more about them and tag along in their adventures.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.”

-Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

    Can I just say I sort of like the movie version better in one aspect, that the reason the lightning bolt made more sense. While in the book they explained why Luke stole the bolt-- for Kronos-- in the movie it was for revenge on the dad. Reading the book, I found it entirely random that Kronos chose Luke to be the thief. So that's probably the only thing I liked that was changed from the book. Otherwise...
  And I hate it when movies are based from a book and then completely butcher characters and their appearances. Like Annabelle for example has blonde hair, not red. I see in the trailer for the next movie they're attempting to clear up some of the mess-ups, and I hope they fix a lot more than just that.
   I'm very excited to find out in the next book what happens to Grover after his search for Pan. Does he find him? Does he not? I know he survives since the next movie shows him in it. The only thing I really know about Pan is from the movie Pan's Labyrinth where Pan is a faun and he looks pretty beast. I hope he makes an appearance in the next book and figure out why he was missing in the first place. Two thousand years MIA? Antisocial much?
   While I enjoyed this book, I didn't find Percy to act much like a twelve year old. The youngest I would have guessed would be fifteen. Grover who was twenty-eight acted more like a twelve year old to me. 
     My favorite part was the quest of course and all their meetings with gods and ancient Greek follys (the Lotus Hotel and Casino) and Gnome Emporium. Ares was probably my more favored villain than Luke because he was an almighty god, while I do find Luke more villainous since he's human (more or less).


Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel

Game of Thrones Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    All I'm going to say is, it's about time!
   The Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Reference:

    In all honesty, I first heard about this series from the show. I always see gifs on tumblr and I never hear anything but good things about it. And since it's fantasy, I'm just assuming I'll go for it. I bought the first four books almost a year ago and now am finally starting it. Better late than never!

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

    First word that comes after finishing: :O
    Okay, that isn't a word but I don't have a word to describe how utterly breathtaking and awe-inspiring this book is. This book is 807 pages (at least my copy is), and I've never read a book where I wasn't bored at least some point. Every single chapter left me with wanting more with a character since each chapter alternates between different main characters (which there are about 8), however it wasn't annoying because I was torn away from a scene, each chapter left me with just enough but still wanting more. Ambivalent much?
    Something I found so quite remarkably beautiful about this book were the characters. I've never read a book where the characters surprised me. What I mean is that whenever I read a book, the characters go under a category: good or bad or unimportant (of course there are the extremes of both sides: Eddard on the side of good and Viserys on the side of pure evil.) Yes sometimes I find a character to be under one category but then at the end the author changes their mind and puts them in another category which sometimes can be predictable (let alone annoying). But in the Game of Thrones I'd have to say that isn't the case. I found myself questioning these characters because they did something many authors strive to do, which is make their characters real. These characters had habits, they had desires, they had pasts, they had quarrels, they had dislikes, they had secrets, they had ulterior motives, they had strength and weakness, they had love and hate, they had minds and hearts, which is what I say readers have, too. Most importantly these characters acted arbitrarily, because I found moments constantly throughout where I tried to be smart and predict what would happen and while not necessarily the opposite would happen, just something I wasn't expecting would. 
    Of course the hardest part about this book is the names. I wrote down 95% of character names while reading and it filled the front and back of my piece of paper, and more where I could squeeze in some more names. Honestly even now after finishing I don't really know who some of the characters were loyal to-- I'm hoping when I begin watching the show it'll clear up some. 
   Okay time to discuss my favorite characters. Drumroll please. To those of you who have read the book or seen the show, it won't surprise you when I say Jon Snow, or maybe Arya Stark, or even Tyrion Lannister? Jon or the bastard as he was most frequently referred as in the story wasn't the sob story boy that I would've expected. In fact, he had morals and a stout heart, it's only a shame that he isn't considered a "true" son of Eddard Stark. But it just shows Eddard even greater of a man to take him in, regardless of what the people might think, let alone his wife who he was married to at the time. Jon chose early on to leave off to serve his life at the Wall and for some reason those chapters never bored me, in fact I was eager to read more about him they became my favorites. Arya Stark, the younger daughter of Eddard, is only nine but a badass nonetheless. She's courageous and carries herself with a sort of pride I can't do anything but respect. Her loyalties are to her father, but unless it's in the extremes, she doesn't take no crap from anyone. And may I repeat-- she's only nine! Tyrion Lannister should be the enemy, I wanted to dislike him since he's one of them. The Lannisters, deceivers and egocentric snakes. They think they're the ish because the woman in the family is married to the King Robert Baratheon. Tyrion's doesn't let pretty faces and fake smiles fool him; the voice in the audience head that shouts at the bad character when the good character in the TV never notices. He has the sort of humor many from this generation have and it just made him more of a rounded character. He's led a difficult life since he's a dwarf, constantly being downcast and referred to as the "Imp," but like the strong character he is, he embraces the taunts and uses it as a shield instead of leaving it as a wound.
    And what kind of baffles me at first about these characters was that what we'd consider young adults at 17/18, they consider at 12/13. It was difficult to grasp that since when you look at 12/13 year olds all I see are pimply kids with braces, but by the end I began to have the mentality that maybe that is the norm and reality is wrong. (Oh no, look what too much reading does to you.) 
     What I also found likable in this book is that Martin spoke from both sides of the court so to speak. It ranged from the noble and moral Starks to the sneaky and deceptive Lannisters. And ALSO to the "nation's" enemy: the Targaryens. It was interesting to read because each side calls the other the less honorable side, since they both shed royal blood and it leaves it up to the reader who to side with. While most of the chapters are from the Stark family, Martin does include someone from each side, so it's all questionable in my opinion. 
    There were so many intense moments. It's such a relief to read a book where all the tension isn't left for the last 50 pages but spread throughout. This ties in with the characters being unpredictable like I mentioned earlier. If not every fifty pages, every one hundred pages for sure, there would be something that happened that redefined the story. I don't remember ever feeling so emotionally invested in what was going to happen to the characters. While I've read many books in the past where I loved the characters, I'd have to say this kind of investment in characters-- let alone their character development-- matches the kind of attachment I get when watching TV shows or movies. It's like I could see everything playing out as I read the pages. Martin described all of the characters actions along with their dialogue so beautifully I could imagine everything as clearly as if I were watching it on TV. I don't want to be modest, he's a master storyteller! I can definitely see Tolkien influence.
   While as much as I love this story in regards to character, the establishment of place was rough and difficult. Even with a map in the front, I still couldn't manage where most of the characters were (other than the Wall and Winterfell). Such as where the King lived and where a good half of the story took place. It's one of my arguments against this series compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth, which makes me hesitant to claim it superior. While Tolkien delivered in characters in place, Martin just made the scenes so intriguing, but with a lack of atmosphere (in location).
   I want to talk about the ending. I didn't have an opinion for it because I just assumed it was going to be good like everything that I'd read to that point. It was about 50 pages from the end when I began to get concerned, afraid that it was going make me not find the book as enjoyable as I thought. Thank the Lord that didn't happen! It was cleverly arranged to show that this journey is no where near done. I'm just glad I didn't read this the year it came out, because then I would've been very discontent. As my good friend Inigo Montoya once said, "I hate wait." And with a book as marvelous as this, I definitely wouldn't want to wait a year+ for the next part in this saga.
    A petty argument against this book is honestly the lack of fantastical creatures. Other than the mention of dragons every hundred pages or so, there are no dragons actually present. This is indeed more a "game of thrones," intense action-packed drama of rivaling families claim for power and right to ascension. 

I give this book 5/5 stars. If you don't mind a lot of gore, sex, incest, and the occasional swear word-- I'd highly recommend!

Author's Quote:

"Why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones?"
-Varys, George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   There could arguably be about twenty things I want to talk about. But I'll try to limit it to a few since it's early in the AM anyways. Let's start with the first intense moment in the book. Bran's fall. Up till that point, I had grown fond of the boy and much like anyone who liked him, prayed that he ended up surviving. Yes! And when Martin revealed that he would, I wanted to just jump up and down. It sucked that he couldn't remember the whole watching Cersei and Jaime get it on and reveal it to everyone, I guess then it wouldn't be a game of thrones. 
   When Viseyrs dies I didn't quite catch it. I mean I read it and I was confused with the whole pouring hot metal atop his head. I didn't know if that meant he had died until I reread that scene about 3x. (Man I'm slow...) I blame it on getting distracted by food, I was half reading. Anyways, I much like anyone who's against abusing women-- never mind that it's your flesh and blood, we all were pretty okay with him dying. 
    And continuing on with Dany, anyone else think every time they saw whose chapter it was, they automatically thought, someone's having sex in this chapter! Just me? Or maybe, did anyone else get the hints that Dany and Ser Jorah Mormont might hook up, if not during the story by the end of it? I mean, I respect she eventually grew to love Khal Drogo, but it wasn't the innocent kind of love, but forced love. I can't wait to see how their relationship develops in A Clash of Kings. Oh! And the ending with the awaking of the dragons. I really saw how they symbolized her young, innocent past behind with the death of her husband to the beginning of some badassery with these firebreathers. I assumed dragons would come since all the gifs I saw on tumblr, so I'm glad they came at the end. It's a perfect start for the next book.
    I knew Eddard Stark was going to die. I've heard from people that Martin likes to crush people's feels... not in those words exactly, but that he was no friend to keeping characters that readers would grow to love. Also, there's the whole gif on tumblr where you see his character from the TV show begin beheaded-- but other than that. When reading that scene, I was expecting to tear (because also the actor who portrays him in the show also played Boromir in the LotR trilogy and coincidently dies too), but it was so subtle I had to reread that page to make sure I understood that he had in fact been killed. I know this might sound really condescending, but do you understand why he said what he said. The last time we were with him, Varys basically warned him he had to leave his honor and morals aside him and plead guilty to save the lives of his daughters (though only one was truly under the hand of Joffrey and Cersei). I imagined that scene with Eddard being ridiculed by the public, wishing with all his heart to just have one last glance at his daughters before he betrayed his honor which is the most important thing to him, second only to his love for his family, trying to keep a strong and steady voice as he spoke lies, moments before his imminent death. Eddard Stark may have done things that he wasn't proud of, but at the end of the day he was more of a man with the true love he had for his family than one who hid behind their pride and their title and their honor (*cough* *cough* Joffrey and Jaime *cough* *cough*). Oh gosh why??? Why did he have to be the one to die?!?!! I'm okay-- I'm okay.
    When Jon left near the end of the book to go aid his brother Robb against the armies of Lannister and he was nearly caught by his Night Watch brothers, I figured they were going to ride with him. But nope-- they just took him back. Darn! There goes me predicting what was going to happen and be utterly wrong... Haha, and it won't be the last time I wager. ^^
   When Tyrion was captured and held hostage by Catelyn Stark, and then she took her to Lysa Arryn-- ugh that woman would make me denounce her as family, was one of the most anxious reading chapters. I wanted to see how he fared and I'm glad that he was able to escape from the wrath of Lysa and baby Robert. Ugh, I really didn't like them. I hope they get something coming to them in the near future, if not in the next book I hope by the third.
   About ten pages from the end, when Robb, Catelyn, Theon, and many others are in a meeting and one guy-- I forget who-- speaks out and says what I'd been thinking for some time, why not rule themselves with a new king? With the old nice king dead, instead of having to rule under any of the tyrannical rulers, Renly and Stannis and definitely Joffrey. This was another one of those moments at the end that just made the book be brought up to a whole other level. 
   And of course, the secret that gives all the controversy to the book! How Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen are not really Robert's kids but their mother Cersei's brother's. Yay incest... (that's sarcasm!!) I couldn't really grab the appearances of any of the characters, except Tyrion, so I couldn't just find that moment of epiphany where I made the connection, but I did catch the revelation and was very surprised! I didn't really catch how Eddard even learned the truth, it was just one chapter he revealed it. I only wish that he didn't go to Cersei first but Robert... Especially since he was very close to him.

Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel

City of Glass Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   It took me a day to decide which book I wanted to read and after asking my grandma, because sometimes I just need an outsiders opinion, she told me to read this one. Out of the ones I suggested she said it'd be better to just continue on with a series I started and it made sense. City of Glass it was! Here is the synopsis provided by Goodreads:

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Reference:

   Unless you're unfamiliar with the Mortal Instruments series, this is the third book in the trilogy, so I heard about this from the second book.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

    I preferred the second book over the first, but now finishing it I think I prefer/still prefer City of Ashes. I think what I liked about this book was this it was set in a different place other than Manhattan. While I like the urban feel to one of the most popular cities in the world, it was nice that this was set in a foreign environment, but not only that but a fantastical place that's not visible to mundanes.
   What bothered me most about this book were the main characters. Except Simon. I love Simon. Pretty sure nothing could make stop loving Simon. No-- who I'm talking about is Clary and Jace. They aren't my favorite couple, however the story and the world it's in is interesting with Shadowhunters, vampires (though I'm personally tired of them, Simon's one so I don't mind as much), werewolves, warlocks, sometimes even sinister fairies, demons and angels. So many interesting creatures and so many cool characters but the two people Clare chose to concentrate on are possibly some of the most annoying people ever. Okay, I've read about more annoying chracters, but I figured with all the hype this series gets I wouldn't be as disappointed. I'm extremely against people always so needy and desperate for people's affections who don't deserve them. I think I just need a break from young adult...
   I don't think I need to express my feelings about Clary not finishing her sentences. Clare is so rude and always has her interrupted (if she thinks it makes suspense for the reader, it does, and it pisses me off in the process). But unfortunately it hasn't stopped from appearing since the first and second book, and I'm sure it will continue on with the next books in the series. I just hope this part of her style and transcend to all future books she writes, or the Infernal Devices trilogy which I haven't read yet.  
   Overall, I found this book okay. I can see why a lot of young teens are crazy about this series, it was my generations Twilight, and it's only until a year or so ago I didn't realize how bad it was. But it's alright because I was young, I didn't understand the importance of plots or substantial character developments in stories. I didn't dislike this book more than I liked it, I'd say indifferent toward it-- putting aside the problems with it I found in the first two books. It's probably in the same rank as the first book for me, I'm not blown away but I'm still interested in reading more (for Simon, only ever for Simon).

I give this book 2/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“I am a man" he told her, "and men do not consume pink beverages. Get thee gone woman, and bring me something brown.”

-Jace, City of Glass

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   Okay I figured that Jace and Clary weren't related. This series would be a complete bust and wouldn't have remained so popular if they had. I called it (check my book review on City of Ashes) in the spoiler section.

   When it was a quarter or so from the end, Jocelyn, Clary's mom comes back and I detested Clary's reaction. It wasn't like she was going through so much trouble to find the antidote to revive the woman who hadn't been in the story since the beginning of the first book, and the first thing she does is yell at her. The only family she's known all her life who actually cares about her no matter what and doesn't put up any facades! Well, Simon never fakes with her but it's her mom, she left the Shadowhunter life for Clary, I think she cares most about her.
   Also when Clary pulled a Dean Winchester (asking the Angel Raziel to bring back Jace from the dead), I rolled my eyes and couldn't believe she put this in the story. Since this is a young adult book, and predictable of course (I called that Jace wasn't going to be related to her after all and watch it be the Sebastian guy-- check my City of Ashes spoilers),  I knew he wasn't going to die. I might've felt the suspense more if the next books weren't out and I knew for a fact he doesn't die, but he didn't die, and there are other books-- so predictable predictable as always.
    And I'd just like to talk about the fact that Jace doesn't truly have a name since his parents never gave him one. Clare doesn't talk bring it up until the epilogue when Jace tells Clary he doesn't have a name and I felt like it didn't really dawn on him as much as it would've a normal person, Shadowhunter or not. I mean how would you feel if someone came up to you and basically said your life has been a lie and that you don't even have a name?? Like something as trivial as it may seem to everybody is their name, and it's something everyone has-- young, old, rich, poor, sick, healthy, etc. But he doesn't have one! I would feel sort of lost in the world. I wish there was a little more dawning. 

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   Hello. After finishing the Lord of the Rings series yesterday, I decided to dip my toes back into the murder mystery world of Agatha Christie. I've had this book at the top of my Agatha Christie reads for a while so I just decided that why not let it just be my next read?
  
   --So even though I posted this review up several months back now, I've noticed that this review gets the most views almost every week and for that I apologize because I didn't have much to say about it. If you still want to know what I did think about it by all means scroll down and read my review, but yeah I could only say so much. Have a lovely day! --
  (updated 7.23.13)

  This is the synopsis of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd provided by Goodreads:

Village rumor hints that Mrs. Ferrars poisoned her husband, but no one is sure. Then there's another victim in a chain of death. Unfortunately for the killer, master sleuth Hercule Poirot takes over the investigation.

Reference:

It's Agatha Christie, I researched. ;)

Review

(safe for those who haven't read this book)

  Oh yeah alright Agatha Christie here we go! I'd like to start off by saying that this wasn't anything like I thought it was. I confused this story with another one which I still am not sure which book it is, but I thought it involved a woman being found at the scene of crime with a knife in her hand right in front of the body. If anyone knows the title, please tell me, because that one sounds really interesting.

   I was a little disappointed in this book. I found the majority of the story to be redundant, restating the facts of times and objects and people's whereabouts. I was anxious to find out who did it already about a sixth of the way into the book. And I totally understand why people give this book so much credit and praise, because the ending really was a plot twist, I was taken back for a minute. However, I felt I was begin dragged in this book, and wasn't enjoying it as much as I wanted. 
   Unlike her other books I've read, I only really was suspicious of about four out of the ten to fifteen that are the more prominent characters. I won't say who I was suspicious of, but I'll just say I was wrong. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

I give this book 3/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“If you are to be Hercule Poirot, you must think of everything.” 
- Agatha Christie

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   Okay, I suspected Caroline the entire book, so I was a little cast down when I found out I was wrong. As for her brother turning out to be the murderer, it didn't necessarily surprise me but then it did. The beginning I couldn't really remember the exact movements and times that the doctor was out and about until the end when Poirot explained it all. The only thing I knew for sure that was fishy was that it took five minutes to go from the gate to that one room and he said it took him ten. But I just thought that he was old so he went slower. Christie never really cleared up ages so I more or less guessed most of them:
   (The doctor I thought was old, sixties/seventies but his sister young-- but then she revealed later in the book she was only eight years younger.
   Flora was early twenties. 
   Blunt was nineteen.
   Roger Ackroyd was forties.
   Ralph Paton was mid twenties.
   Mrs. Ackroyd was in her fifties.
   Ursula was mid to late twenties.
   The rest of the house staff was older than thirties.)
   I see why this book gathers so much fame. Being in the mind of the killer isn't one typically is accustomed to when reading, especially a murder mystery. While the doctor reveals that most of the time he himself was confused, which kind of makes this story a little funny when you think about it, it really had me step back to just think about what I just read. I was just in the mind of a murderer. I read this in one sitting so I just had to evaluate everything I just learned and really appreciate all the red herrings and miscalculated accusations that Christie had to write, then rewrite, then fix, then rewrite, then clean, then read and made sure make sense. My mind is always boggled by the complexities of her murders, and seriously no one can beat her. She is the queen.


Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel