Friday, January 17, 2020

Bunny by Mona Awad

42815544
Bunny by Mona Awad

5 stars

“We call them Bunnies because that is what they call each other," is the first sentence we encounter in Mona Awad’s newest release. The story is set in the backdrop of Providence (Lovecraft and weird fiction territory and this book loves to pay homage to just that) while being immersed in the life of a college grad student completing her thesis novel in creative writing. The women in her Workshop (known as the Cave because it’s a place to give birth to their creative ideas) are all Bunnies. The Bunnies are women who love glitter and squeezing each other in hugs so tight that their masses become one. It’s horrifying. The Bunnies and their basic concept is horrifying in and of itself. The weirdness doesn’t end there and neither does the horror. Samantha hates the Bunnies and wants nothing to do with them. After the Bunnies wave at her at a party and then promptly invite her to join them at one of their Smut Salons (where they read erotic fiction and poetry) she is swept into the strange and horrifying world where women don’t just call themselves Bunny, but where bunnies (yes, the cute furry ones) are turned into men. Their heads explode and the Bunnies are covered in rabbit guts and welcome their newest creation when he knocks on the door. It’s weird. It’s gory and the story just got weirder and weirder as time went on. Honestly, I was sold when I heard BooksandLaLa say this book was about a cult of women turning bunnies into men. Say no more, that’s my kind of weird. That description doesn’t even begin to cover the range of weird that we encounter, but I won’t spoil where Awad’s level of weird and horrible brilliance goes. Read it for yourself.


Continue reading if you want deeper thoughts:
The writing is quite stylistically not for everyone. It’s choppy and flowery, but it has writing allusions that paint a picture of how immersive the writing can be to a writer. It’s great symbolism for the obsession with creation that writers experience. The writing is quick and the choppy style lends to the reader always wanting to continue reading. I know, I did. This book was one of the quickest reads I’ve had in awhile. The writing draws and sucks you in. I could not put this book down. This novel is engrossing and enigmatic writing style is what makes this book so good.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

The main female character is Samantha. I don’t know if I like Samantha or not, but I definitely am fascinated by her world and her life. I’m fascinated by her choices and the world that she has been drawn into. I wouldn’t call her a strong heroine, but she is strong. That girl can fight when she has enough.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 5

The Villain- I love how twisted and morally corrupt this story is. The villains are obvious, hello, it’s the title, but they are so wild to follow. The horrifying thing is that they are all one. They have no personality outside of being one massive entity and we only know what Samantha knows, so there are so many secrets when it comes to the Bunnies.


“That’s when ___’s head explodes. Literally explodes. Blood and brains all over me, the walls. Blood all over the Bunnies and their whimpering boys. Bits of skull falling on the hardwood floor like hail. His headless, suited body remains standing before me. Then it collapses on the floor.”

Villain Scale: 5

“The Work does not come without Cost.”

The characters are so intricate and I feel like even mentioning one character outside of the Bunnies leads to spoilers, so just know they are fascinating. I was always shocked and kept on my toes.


Character Scale: 5

This novel is a wild ride and I want everyone to read it. It was an amazing and wild ride. One of my favorite books that I’ve read in awhile. If you like weird and Lovecraftian nonsense that isn’t explained, but will grip you and freak you out then check this out.


Plotastic Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I am obsessed with the colors on this cover. It is so striking and simple.
 
Have you read Bunny? Do you plan to? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

25526296
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

First book in the Wayward Children series

4.75 stars

Nancy has been to a different world. A world where standing still and holding your breath to be a statue was considered to be special. Now Nancy is back in the world she originally lived in. Her parents don’t like her newly acquired stillness. It makes them uncomfortable. When an opportunity opens up for Nancy to attend Eleanor’s West Home for Wayward Children, they quickly send her there. The Home for Wayward Children is not what’s advertised as. It’s meant for children who have come back from the worlds they have stumbled upon. Everyone hungers to go back and some will do everything to get there even if it means murder. Part murder mystery and part fantasy portal tale, Every Heart a Doorway is a great mix of intense storyline that will leave you want to keep turning the page. McGuire is one my favorite authors currently writing. She tackles subjects like asexuality while not making it the focal point of the story. It’s just another aspect to the character’s identity. McGuire writes a world filled with intense suspense and mysterious wonder.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

“Stillness was safer. Stillness had saved her before, and it would save her now.”

The main female character is Nancy. Nancy is an interesting protagonist. She’s very cold and she doesn’t often show emotion. However, following Nancy is intriguing. She constantly asks questions and often finds out truths that people in the House would prefer to keep hidden. She is an interesting character to introduce the grand scape of the worlds that children travel to because she is not from a world of joy, but of cold stillness and melancholy. She thrives in that kind of world. It’s different to follow a character not ready to bloom around blossom and sing to deer.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 4.25

The Villain- What a treat. I am so intrigued by the villain in this story. McGuire did a great job with not allowing us to see who it was until just the right time. Her motives are also horrifying and disturbing. I enjoy encountering a villain who is actually terrifying especially considering that the story was so chilling. The level of brutality that these girls faced was extreme. It was like something straight from a horror novel (which McGuire does well).


Villain Scale: 5

All of the characters in the novel are entertaining and intriguing. From Jack to Kade to Eleanor West. I loved finding out more about the worlds they had visited and how their personalities fit those worlds. These characters are standout and they have so much life in them.


Character Scale: 5

I listened to the audiobook for this novel and it was fantastic. It was a great novel and I can’t believe it took me so long to read it. The Wayward Children series is imaginative, dark, gritty, and entertaining.


Plotastic Scale: 5

“You’re nobody’s doorway but your own, and the only one who gets to tell you how your story ends is you.”

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover so much.

Thank you, Netgalley and Tor.com, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
 
Have you read Every Heart a Doorway? What are your thoughts about it and the series? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Ranking All the Books I've Read in 2019

Hey, everyone! I hope that your 2020 is off to a hopeful and exciting start! I thought it would be cool to rank all of the books I read in the year of 2019. It's a big feat, but I love making lists and ranking things is super fun for me. I also tend to gravitate towards these type of blog posts, so I figured why not make something I would love to read if I was stumbling upon this blog! I read a lot of short stories, so I won't be ranking them. I may do a separate post on short stories later on!

ALL OF THE BOOKS:
Image result for all of the books meme 
 I read 127 books and short stories this year! This is the most I've ever read, but this list will feature 110 books that I'm ranking because everything else were short stories.

110.
17677967 
Four Blood Moons- 1 star DNF
Bought for a $1 
109.
43370097 
Bleed Like Me- 1 star DNF
e-ARC from Publisher
108.
30852 
The Woman Warrior- 1 star DNF
Purchased for Class
107.
20862524 
Amity- 1.25 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
106.
24378015 
Never, Never Part 1- 1.75 stars
Purchased e-book
105.
528158. sy475  
Romeo & Juliet- 1.75 stars (Reread- same rating)
Textbook and free e-book
104.
30010106 
The Liturgy of the Ordinary- 1.75 stars
Free Audiobook
103.
42480591 
Untroubled- 2 stars DNF
e-ARC from Publisher
102.
42046111 
The Body in Question- 2 stars
e-ARC from Publisher (RIP Penguin First to Read Program)
101.
7882025 
Howl's Moving Castle- 2 stars
Audiobook from library
100.
18304322 
Dumplin'- 2 stars
Audiobook from library 
 99.
180617 
Pinocchio- 2 stars
Ebook Backlist
98.
40666896 
Optimisfits- 2.75 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
97.
4337947 
The Merry Wives of Windsor- 2.5 stars
Purchased for Class
96.
39320597 
A Simple Favor- 2.5 stars
Audiobook from library
95.
34964957 
When the Moon was Ours- 2.5 stars
Purchased for Class and ebook from library
94.
36297088 
the mermaid's voice returns in this one- 2.75 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
93.18723552 
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- 3 stars
Free Audiobook
92.
45202870 
Nocturnal- 3 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
91.
11512728 
The Fundamental 5- 3 stars
Gift from my aunt
90.
https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432487272l/23878688.jpg 
The 5 Love Languages- 3 stars
Audiobook from Library
89.
34564368 
A Bigger Table- 3 stars
Audiobook from Library
88.
42366222 
Kingdom of Exiles- 3 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
87.
44174328 
Wait- 3 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
86.
118944 
American Born Chinese- 3 stars
Purchased for Class
 85.
7929931 
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland- 3 stars (Reread originally 3.75 stars)
Free Audiobook and ebook
84.
105992 
Helter Skelter- 3.25 stars
Purchased (Backlist TBR)
83.
40680982 
With Gratitude- 3.25 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
82.
73008. sy475  
The Tempest- 3.25 stars
Free ebook and textbook
81.
36461454 
I Know You Know- 3.5 stars
Audiobook from Library
80.
38359036 
The Tattooist of Auschwitz- 3.5 stars
Audiobook from library
79.
42202740 
Between You & These Bones- 3.5 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
78.
42621995 
Snow White Learns Witchcraft- 3.75 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
77.
43821559
You Can't Kill Me Twice (so please treat me right)- 3.75 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
76.
7723 
The Metamorphosis and Other Stories- 3.5 stars  
Purchased (Backlist TBR) 
75.
25667918. sy475  
Binti- 3.5 stars
Purchased 2019
74.
395040 
The Bell Jar- 3.5 stars
Audiobook from Library
73.
37487159 
A Woman of Grace- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
72.
40738348 
Worry Less, Pray More-4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
71.
34409176 
The Dreamers- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
70.
42367667 
Every Time I Feel the Spirit- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
69.
13631346 
Cloak & Silence- 4 stars
Purchased ebook (backlist)
68.
46406150. sx318  
Snug- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
67.
40538277. sy475  
Disciple Her- 4 stars
Physical Book Sent by Publisher and e-ARC
66.
39863515 
An Anonymous Girl- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
65.
40407141. sy475  
What the Wind Knows- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
64.
674749 
The Ordinary Princess- 4 stars
Purchased for Class
63.
40097951. sy475  
The Silent Patient-4 stars
Audiobook from library
62.
32951877 
Anxious for Nothing- 4 stars
Audiobook from library
61.
22554204. sy475  
Lumberjanes Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy- 4 stars
Free ebook
60.
34728667 
Children of Blood & Bone- 4 stars
Purchased for class & Audiobook from libary
59.
9416418 
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon- 4 stars
Purchased for Class
58.
40590288 
Here, Now- 4 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
57.
33560536. sy475  
Animosity Volume 1: The Wake- 4 stars
Free ebook from publisher
56.
6328412 
Rachel's Tears- 4 stars
Purchased 2019
55.
13356705. sy475  
The Hobbit- 4 stars (Reread originally 3.5 stars)
Purchased backlist
54.
159069. sx318  
A Wrinkle in Time- 4 stars
Purchased for Class 
53. 
16101115. sy475  
Peter Pan- 4 stars (Reread originally 3.5 stars)
Purchased Backlist
52.
37954224 
Healing the Soul of a Woman- 4.25 stars
Audiobook from library
51.
272676. sy475  
The Hiding Place- 4.25 stars
Purchased backlist and audiobook from library
50.
40065317 
The Invited- 4.25 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
49.
44900229. sx318  
The Reptile Room- 4.25 stars
Audiobook from library
48.
39863312 
Never-Contented Things-4.25 stars
e-ARC from the Publisher
47.
40597810 
Daisy Jones & the Six- 4.25 stars
Audiobook from the library
46.
41716963 
Ash- 4.25 stars
Purchased for Class
45.
39218350 
Maid- 4.5 stars
Audiobook from the library
44.
32620332. sy475  
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- 4.5 stars
Audiobook from library
43.
589836. sx318  
Coraline- 4.5 stars (Reread same rating)
Purchased for Class
42.
35553307. sx318  
Always Enough, Never Too Much- 4.5 stars
Purchased 2019
41.
She's Still There- 4.5 stars
Audiobook from library
40.
787434 
 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- 4.5 stars
 Purchased Backlist
39.
 41161349
Parable of the Sower- 4.5 stars
Purchased for Class
38.
 41219132
Love Looks Pretty on You- 4.75 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
37.
43476316 
Not Forsaken- 4.5 stars
Audiobook from Publisher 
36.
18498558 
Bird Box- 4.5 stars 
Audiobook from library
35.
25526296 
Every Heart a Doorway- 4.75 stars
Audiobook from library & e-ARC from Publisher
34.
36896898. sy475  
 Spinning Silver- 4.75 stars
Audiobook from library
33.
33574211 
Emma in the Night- 4.75 stars
Audiobook from the library
32.
42975172 
The Testaments- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
31.
 35138426
Searching for Spring- 5 stars
Purchased 2018
30.
30983474 
The Drawing of the Three- 5 stars
Purchased Backlist
29.
34523174  
Into the Drowning Deep- 5 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
28.
40392294 
Whispers and Wildflowers- 5 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
27.
5096865 
In Cold Blood- 5 stars (Reread same rating)
Audiobook from library
26.
40392207 
A Cloud by Day, A Fire by Night- 5 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
25.
78413. sx318  
The Bad Beginning- 5 stars
Audiobook from library and Purchased for Class
24.
11387515 
Wonder- 5 stars
ebook from library
23.
19351043. sx318 sy475  
Nimona- 5 stars
Purchased for Class 
22.
 31450908
Down Among the Sticks and Bones - 5 stars

Audiobook from library
21.
455101 
The Time Machine- 5 stars
Purchased for Class
20.
11828537 
Cat's Cradle- 5 stars
Purchased for Class
19.
36373463 
Us Against You- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
18.
42368604. sy475  
Lock Every Door- 5 stars
e-ARC from Publisher
17.
22628 
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- 5 stars (Reread same rating)
Purchased Backlist
16.
329519 
Hamlet- 5 stars (Reread originally 4.5 stars)
Free ebook & Textbook
15.
5632446  
Columbine- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
14.
39796904 
My Lovely Wife- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
13.
30259187 
Grace is Greater- 5 stars
Free audiobook and Purchased 2019
12.
36739651 
Untouchable- 5 stars 
Purchased 2019
11.
38447 
The Handmaid's Tale- 5 stars (Reread same rating)
Purchased Backlist
10.
 30753629. sy475
Misery- 5 stars
Purchased Backlist
9.
35068524 
Not That Bad- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
8.
34460444 
Finding Selah- 5 stars
Purchased 2018
7.
5152478 
Wintergirls- 5 stars (Reread same rating)
Purchased for Class
6.
43067508 
The Complicated Heart- 5 stars
Physical Book from Publisher & e-ARC from Publisher
5.
 45995591
NOS4A2- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
4.
33413128 
Beartown- 5 stars
Audiobook from library
3.
1221381 
The Road- 5 stars (Reread originally 2 stars)
Purchased Backlist
2.
34810320 
Sadie- 5 stars
Audiobook from library & Purchased 2019
1. THE BEST BOOK OF 2019!
40538307 
Sick of Me- 5 stars 
Physical Copy from Publisher & e-ARC

Those are all of the books I read in 2019!  I read so many amazing last year and it was a fantastic year full of books that will stay with me forever. I had almost 30 5-star books! That's so amazing! I hope you will pick up some of these books! If you read them, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Blog Tour: The Last Storm by Tim Lebbon

 Hello, everyone! Today I am a part of the blog tour for Tim Lebbon's new and upcoming 2022 release, THE LAST STORM. The Last Storm will...