Poetry Reviews: Nocturnal, With Gratitude

Nocturnal by Wilder

3 stars

“i’m still trying
to find the parts of me
i left hidden
between pages
of a story i never
wanted to forget,
but you were always
in the last place
i looked.”

Nocturnal is a small collection of poems. There are short poems and long poems. There’s art and a collection of emotion and heart. It’s good to see such heart being placed into each page of this collection. I personally wasn’t enamored with this collection. I liked it. This is a simple and heartfelt collection, but it didn’t stick with me. It’s been a couple of days since I’ve read this one and I’ve already forgot most of the poems and the way that it made me feel. This is a collection that will either stick with you forever or fade away from your memory. As a reader, it’s up to you to decide if you want to pick this collection up.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 3

Cover Thoughts: It’s a beautiful and simple cover.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

With Gratitude by Marala Scott

3.25 stars

With Gratitude is a simple poetry collection that focuses on finding and cultivating gratitude in your own life. These poems have heart and it’s obvious that this message is very important to Scott. I will admit that a lot of these poems sound like cheesy inspirational posters that hang in doctor’s offices, but those sayings are popular for a reason. People like simple things that remind to be grateful and this poetry collection does just that. I do think that this is an important side caveat that some of these poems in this collection are incredibly idealistic and overly indulgent in optimism. The problem is that not everyone can see the good because this world is so bad and some people will argue that cultivating this form of gratitude is impossible if struggling with mental illness or trauma (I would argue against that as my own personal testimony, but people lead different lives). I think this collection is all about perspective, but because not everyone understands their own perspective they make walk away from this collection filled with resentment instead of letting their hearts be opened to a different way of living. Also Scott is a Christian, so if you don’t want a sprinkling of poems about Jesus and God then this one may not be for you. I really liked this collection. It was full of poems I needed to hear in the moment and I recommend this collection if you are looking to cultivate gratitude or be reminded of where gratitude can be found in your own life.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 3.25

Cover Thoughts: I love the cover and the combination of the flower with a soft blue background.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Between You and These Bones by F.D. Soul

3.5 stars

“There are flowers in my chest again
the kind
that do not lose their bloom.”

Between You and These Bones is a poetry collection filled with soul and the breathtaking grit of poetry. F.D. Soul is an innovative poet compared to most of what scatters the shelves today. Her poems are short at times, but they are also long. She isn’t afraid to have three or four-page poems which is saying something. The art in this collection is absolutely stunning and is cohesive to the poems. As much as the poetry speaks, the images smattering through the pages speak and interweave with each to convey a full message. This collection has a lot of soul and there were poems that I really loved, but there is a lot of lines within this collection that don’t make much sense. My eyes had the tendency to gloss over and have to reread when I got lost. I suspect this collection is very sophisticated and I’m probably not very smart about deciphering it. It’s a good collection and I think it will find a good-sized audience. If you are looking for a collection with more heart and a bit more grit then I think this one will be a good pick.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5

Plotastic Scale: 3.25

Cover Thoughts: This cover is stunning. One of my favorites.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  

Have you read any of these books? Are you a fan of poetry? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Reviews of Books I'm Unhauling

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

3 stars

“Life is not a paragraph, and death is no parenthesis.”

Rachel takes the train every morning and night. As she watches from her window, she sees two people—a young couple—who catches her eye. She names them Jess and Jason and imagines their perfect life that is so different from the one that she has lost. But Rachel notices something one morning that shows that anything but this couple may be perfect. She goes to the police, but they don’t believe her. Is everything that she witnessed a lie or is it true? I first read The Girl on the Train in August of 2016. It’s been quite some time; I know and this review is long overdue. I’ve sat on this thriller for a long time and have read many since. Hawkins can write a gripping novel. I turned page after page and was enthralled by the suspense and build-up of Rachel’s life and unreliable character arc. Hawkins painted a fast-paced train ride that I didn’t want to jump off of just yet. I remember getting to the twist and then wondering how this became such an instant success with the masses because where was the character development going because none of the character arcs supported this twist. It was all very disappointing. Since reading this book I have also watched the movie which was so drab and further proved that the ending just doesn’t work for me. I’m finally writing this review because I’m ready to unhaul this book from my bookshelves. It’s been three years, The Girl on the Train, and you weren’t a bad book, but you didn’t bring me the joy that you promised me. I do plan to read Hawkins other works because her writing style offers promise. I think that’s where I’ll leave my thoughts. I don’t do many reviews often, but I feel like this book just doesn’t warrant a whole lot to say that hasn’t already been said.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3

Villain Scale: 2

Character Scale: 3

Plotastic Scale: 2.5

Cover Thoughts: I hate this cover. At first, I liked it but font can’t be the sole striking thing to make me like a cover and the more I look at it the more I dislike it.

Paper Towns by John Green

1.5 stars

Q is in love with Margo. She offers adventure in all things that Q doesn’t have within himself. When Margo leaves town Q knows that he has to go after her and he and his best friends embark on a journey to uncover where Margo has run off to and what she is hiding from. This book is just not good. I was a John Green fan for my early high school years. I absolutely loved The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska wasn’t great but it kept me hooked when I was a sophomore. The summer before my senior year I hoped to fall back into Green. The Paper Towns film was about to release and it seemed like a good place to start. Suffice to say this book has since made me get rid of all the other Green books that I had yet to read because I decided to part ways from all of Green’s previous releases to TFIOS. I don’t regret it. This book is chalked full of dramatic one-liners that are meant to be pinned to the tumblr dashboard. Green’s books have the tendency to be overly witty. Almost as if they are a person nudging their mirror reflection in the mirror after they make a bad joke. It’s not appealing to me, but the character trait may win others over. It just doesn’t sing to me.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2.5

My notes for this book are actually making me laugh so here is what Sarah from five years ago thought about this daunting tale of chasing a teenager across state lines because the main character is so in love with her.
Page 4
This book is already trying to be too witty.
She’s nine. He needs to calm down (in regards to when he “falls in love” with Margo).
Page 6
Repetitive sentences are repetitive.
Page 7
I doubt a nine-year-old would acquire all this information. (Margo does a heavy investigation on a divorce.)
Page 8
gag me with a spoon
Page 11
Bet a lot of band kids love the band hate.
Page 13
I hate all these characters. This is worse than LFA (Looking for Alaska).
Page 14
Q needs to shut up with his Margo is perfection routine.
Page 15
My eyes glazed over. I reread this page three times.
Page 16
If I have (to) read honeybunny one more time, I’ll fix him. [Young Sarah was violent.]
Page 17
Margo sounds like a b*. [This was written in my sailor days.]
Page 22
This gets dumber and dumber.
This was all just from the prologue and first chapter. I think I hate read this book. LOL. I didn’t like the characters. Q was a cardboard cutout of Green’s witty quotes with a fun and quirky weird trait to set him apart from all of the YA heroes because we can’t have him be an average boy. Margo is an over the top character who has unattainable expectations placed upon her by a teenage boy with an obsession. She’s also insufferably rude and believes that she is better than everybody else. She was, in my opinion, not worth chasing. The characters are hypocrites who made an argument and then contradicted that same argument within the same page. One of my notes that I walk away with assuredly giving a thumbs up to and still standing by is that “The only person Margo likes is Margo” (note written on page 67). My biggest hang up over the plot of this story is it’s about a boy who wants to find the girl who never showed any interest in him until she needed him for something. I just can’t get behind the subtle manipulation and complete championing of that kind of narrative towards cruel behavior. It’s not okay, folks. I wasn’t a fan of this one. Going through my notes to write this review reminded of how much I really don’t like Paper Towns. I can’t wait to give this away to someone who will and hopefully they’ll enjoy my notes.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 2

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: -1

Character Scale: 2.5

Plotastic Scale: 1

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s bold and striking.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

First in the Starbound Trilogy

1.25 stars

Lilac LaRoux is the princess of the luxury spaceship the Icarus. She’s the daughter of the Commander and she has space at her fingertips, but she can’t do the things she longs to do due to the harsh confines and expectations of being royal. Tarver is one of the most elite war heroes and has been in the thick of some of the most brutal battles. Lilac and Tarver meet, things don’t go so well when politics and teenage angst is involved. To make matters even more complicated they are the lone survivors after a space attack on the Icarus and have to set their differences aside to survive and fight bigger battles of an unknown planet. This was a letdown. I had hopes for this one. It’s supposed to be Titanic in space, y’all that should be 5-star book. Sadly, this book was completely devastating to my own personal expectations. The writing had two layers which most likely is the contributing factor of having a co-authored work. The first solid point in writing is the political comments and acknowledgments of this world. I’m assuming that these were written by Kaufman because they reminded me of Illuminae and I could see her work shining through. The rest, however, was sappy, dopey-eyed puppy love that eventually turns into an all-out rabid case of lust. This book went from we have to survive and strange things on this planet could kill us to let’s get it on, lover boy. The writing is eye-roll inducing. The plot takes a rapid turn into the zone of who thought this was a good idea. I’m disappointed. I blame most of my hatred on the writing and the plot because by page 263 I gave up on even thinking that this was a relatively okay book. No, this book sucks and that’s my final word.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1

The main female character is Lilac. Lilac is pretty insufferable for a vast portion of this novel because she is constantly going back and forth between her own morals. She makes a terrible princess because she herself does not know what she stands for, which I can forgive because she is a teenager. Sadly, there was not a good amount of character development to convince me that she is this strong person capable of making her own decisions because her decisions still seemed to be influenced by other peoples’ desires for her.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1.5

The main male character is Tarver. He wasn’t too bad. In fact, for the majority of the novel I liked him at a decent enough level. Somewhere around the 200-page mark my eyes become glued to my head when I was in his POV. He is not a very convincing hero, but I did like his familial backstory. He had promise, but it just didn’t pan out. I think this is mainly due to the fact that he lost his autonomy as a character and became the other half of a romantic arc where his individuality was thrown into the wayside in the hopes of selling a romantic and swoon worthy story. It didn’t work.


Swoon Worthy Scale: 2

The Villain- Again, this had promise because the corporation is bad and the Icarus was evil. Not surprising these are the way these space stories go, but it all felt so one-dimensional. At the end, it’s just all handled so happily ever after that it doesn’t seem believable. Also I hated the chapters where Tarver is being interviewed over what has occurred and interrogated.


Villain Scale: 1

Overall, this one was a letdown. I’m quite sad about it because I thought that maybe I had found a new scifi series to contend with, but nope. I’m not touching the sequel even if it was given to me as a gift. I would also like to advise staying away from this audiobook because it was painful. The narrators did not do a great job and the poor source material only made the narration worse, in my opinion.


Plotastic Scale: 1

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover because pretty dress, but the characters are so badly photoshopped that I laugh at the cover when I look at it for too long.

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

1 star (if I could give 0 I would)

Stan and Charmaine live in a world where economical collapse is rampant and they are struggling to survive. They are living in their car and in constant danger of being jobbed of what little they do have. The Positron Project offers residency in the town of Consilience for six months of the year. Every alternating month, they will work in the Positron prison system and for the next month they will get nice and easy living. At first the setup has a lot of benefits and seems like their prayers have been answered, but a taboo affair breaks out between Charmaine and the man who lives in the house during the other months of the year. Positron won’t allow this and the iron grip of the prison system they work for does not allow for such blatant self-pleasure. Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors. The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake are fantastic pieces of science fiction that display the horrors of humanity and the excess of human decay that is lurking to break through and oppress those who are vulnerable for their own purposes. The Heart Goes Last definitely has these qualities and it rings true to who Atwood is a writer as far as themes go. However, the writing is subpar, cheap, and just disappointing. I’m embarrassed that such a prolific author such as Atwood published a novel like this because it was painful to read. I know that sounds so harsh and I feel bad for even thinking it, but it’s true. This novel does not live up to what Atwood is known for and capable of doing. It’s a very sad dystopian novel and I’m disappointed by it. I did greatly enjoy the beginning of this novel and the discussion and themes of poverty. They were brilliant and Atwood is known for creating satiric pieces that toe pass the line of black humor into straight horror, but this novel went from making exciting and brilliant commentary on poverty, consumerism, and prison systems to outlandish commentary that turned this from a serious dystopian into a sex-crazed and weird pseudo-science fiction story. I weep.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 1.5

Stan is gross, y’all. He is constantly calling women sluts and thinking about masturbation and what he can to be pleased physically. He has no traits outside of his sexual prowess. It’s disgusting. I don’t mind reading about a despicable and sexually obsessed man (Oryx and Crake has a great example of this), but he has no extra development. He is nothing, but sex. He is one of the most grating and disgusting characters I’ve come across. It was even worse because I opted to listen to the audiobook while reading a physical copy as well and both mediums were disgusting but the auditory damage this to my poor psyche will forever be scarred.


Swoon Worthy Scale: -5

Charmaine is not much better. She is a cheater who immediately takes advantage of her luxury living to forget about where and what she originally experienced. It’s almost like she wipes her mind of her humanity and becomes a sexualized woman only living for her next escapade with her lover. She also loves to judge other people for their appearances which makes her an award-winning grade A character with stunning heart and great character development.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1

The Villain- This novel is a mess. There is a woman who imprints with a teddy bear due to a mind-altering transplant that makes her love the first thing she sees. This transplant is [also done to Charmaine. She is obsessed with her husband and they have kids and host parties and BBQs. Their kid is named Stanlita (WHAT). Then you find that she was lied to about having the surgery and basically has tricked her own mind into loving Stan devotedly like never before. She pulled a Ron Weasley thinking he had Liquid Luck. (hide spoiler)] This story is a joke.


Villain Scale: 1

There are very few redeeming qualities about this novel and that brings me great pain. I love Atwood and it’s heartbreaking to read a novel by a beloved author that is absolutely horrible and perpetuates themes that are disgusting and degrading. The ending, if you didn’t see the spoiler tag above, was one of the worst endings I remember coming across. I’m still sad about this book because it was supposed to be a new favorite Atwood. I would love to own all of Atwood’s novels one day, except this one because I don’t want this gigantic mess to take us bookshelf space.


Plotastic Scale: 1

Cover Thoughts: I do like the cover. Not a favorite, but I like the orange with the blue.

I didn't realize this until just now, but I wrote this by ranking from liked to my most hated. That's funny and I did that subconsciously.

Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts on them? Are there any books that you can't wait to unhaul? Let me know down below in the comments! 

Books I've Read in 2018 #65-67

 

Hey, everyone! Here is a video in which I talk about three very different reads. 

THE BOOKS:

 

The Hollow Jessica Verday- 2 stars (originally 5 stars) This is not my jam anymore. I think I cared about more when I was a young naive girl because I related to Abbey in her depression, but besides that this novel is about obsession (not love). Check out my review here.

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin- 4 stars This is a really short and quick classic horror novel. Levin does a great job a setting the scene of horror in idyllic Stepford, Connecticut. I liked how open-ended the novel was and the overall progression of character development/downfall of the main character.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty- 5 stars This novel was shocking and fun. We follow three moms with new kindergartners. It's dramatic and addictive novel. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Recommend the Most:

Big Little Lies! This novel deserves the praise it gets because it is genuinely a fantastic, well-developed (in both plot and characters), and well-written novel.

STATS:

Books Reviewed: 1
Books Rated Over 4 stars: 1
New Favorites: 1
Books That Changed My Life: 0
Owned: 1

 

Have you read any of these books that I talk about? Have you seen the TV show for Big Little Lies? Do you recommend it? Let me know down below in the comments!

April Reading Wrap-Up + May TBR

Hey, everyone!! I can't believe April has flown by already. It was a very busy month for me. I managed to survive all of the stress and pressure and read some books. I actually read a lot of books this month while juggling going to a retreat, taking a test that makes or breaks my future in my major, interviews, projects that all were over 30 pages, and wrapping up our last month of Bible study. God has given me a lot of free time even though I was always busy. So, here are the books that I managed to read in April!

Books Read in April:

Optimisfits: Igniting a Fierce Rebellion Against Hopelessness by Ben Courson- 2.75 stars This novel looks at living life with remembering that Jesus was the ultimate misfit of His time and that it's okay if you are, too. I was not a fan of this one. It's not a bad book and there were some elements that I liked and a couple that I loved, but it was just not for me. Check out my review here.

Columbine by Dave Cullen- 5 stars I read this for Peter Likes Books' Book Club in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Columbine. This novel is so important. Understanding the history of this event that changed America is important. As a future educator about to enter the classroom this book was important to me. As a human being who loves humans as Christ as called me to this book is important to me. As a human who sees hurt in this world this book hurt me but also showed me how humans can pick themselves up again after devastation and loss on epic proportions. Check out my review here.

 Snow White Learns Witchcraft by Theodora Goss- 3.75 stars This is a short story and poetry collection that is immersed in fairy tales. If you are a fan of anthologies, poetry, or fairy tales- both light and dark- then this one is far you. It's a gem of a collection that offers a lot of sweet as well as harrowing moments. Check out my review here.

Never Never (Part 1) by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher- 1.75 stars This serial opener had some potential, but it didn't work for me. I found the characters to be subpar and underwhelming dramatic backdrops of YA cliches. I also found out what the reason was for their memory loss through a spoiler review of the part three finale and dang, am I glad I decided not to waste my time and continue reading. Check out my review here.

Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado- 5 stars I listened to this on audio when I was at the most stressful part of the spring semester. It brought me a lot of comfort. I don't think it's still a 5-star book, but I haven't written my review a mulled over the final rating for it yet.
Whispers and Wildflowers: 30 Days to Slow Your Pace, Savor Scripture, & Draw Closer to God by Sarah Beth Marr- 5 stars I loved this 30-day devotional book. It was all about pressing in to God and allowing him to cultivate your spiritual garden. As someone who connects to the Lord through when He speaks of flowers, this was the perfect plan for me. Check out my review here.
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land- 4.5 stars This memoir was a powerful look into a single mother's struggle to raise a daughter and survive as a maid in American poverty. It was powerful and moving. Check out my review here.
Sick of Me: From Transparency to Transformation by Whitney Capps- 5 stars This is my FAVORITE BOOK of 2019 so far. It has moved me, convicted me, but the writing is so fantastic. The theology and the connection of Scripture to real-life is brilliant. Check out my review here.

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter- 4.25 stars I was so excited for this book and I almost gave up on it, but then it shocked me and reeled me in. This is a creepy YA fantasy that explores dark themes and borders into the horror genre. I really liked it. Check out my review here.

Overall Thoughts:
 I read so many books in April. I don't know how because it was a stressful month for me, but I was so excited about how many I read. I also read so many amazing novels that have become absolute favorites. Here are my 5-star reads:
1. Sick of Me
2. Columbine
3. Whispers and Wildflowers
4. Anxious for Nothing

2019 TBR

*Never Never

Total Read: 9

Currently Reading / Hoping to Finish in May:

I am so sorry that I am posting this so late into May, so I won't be posting all the books that I have finished this month so far, but I will list what I'm reading.

Netgalley ARCs: What the Wind Knows, The Invited, A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night, A Darker Shade of Magic, & DEV1AT3
Physical Books Provided by Publisher: Vulnerable & Disciple Her
Physical Books: Gone with the Wind (and audio), Misery, The Spiritual Gifts Handbook, Always Enough, Never Too Much, Moments of Grace, The Purple Book, and East of Eden
Audiobook: Us Against You

 E-ARCs:

ARCS I Didn't Get To: The Raven's Tale, How to Make Friends with the Dark, Dark of the West, The Ash Family, The Stillwater Girls
 May ARCs: Untroubled, The Inn at Hidden Run, Getting Through What You Can't Get Over, Between You and These Bones, Richard Dawkins, C.S. Lewis, and the Meaning of Life, The Hierophant's Daughter, Her Silhouette Drawn in Water

Audiobooks:

  


Books I Own: 
 
 I want to give Lost in Time a shot before I decide to unhaul it or not. It's the last book in the series, so I think I can complete it. The others are books I would like to get to or think about picking up.

Have you read any of these books? What was your favorite book you read in April? Let me know down below in the comments!