The Book Cookies

1. Summarized Thoughts

My time reading Shadow and Bone was very enjoyable. All the questions hanging in my head were answered as the story went along, and since this story was very fast-paced and action-packed, there wasn't a single moment where I felt like I was having information poured down on me (in other words, great world-building). The characters were well-structured and developed throughout and overall, this book was a very nice read. 

Note: Sorry for such a short review! Hopefully, once I finish the second book in the series, it won't be 10PM on a school night. :)

1. Summarized Thoughts
As you can tell from the rating given and the status updates, I enjoyed this book very much. The story is compelling, exhilarating, and hilarious like all the novels Rick Riordan has written, but manages to display clear disparity in comparison to his previous series. Unsurprisingly, Riordan impresses yet again with the first installment of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.

Actual Rating: 3.75/5 star sandwiches

Warning: There are a few spoilers in this review in the section where I talk about sexism, so if you don't want to be spoiled, just skip over that part.

1. Summarized Thoughts
This book wasn't nearly as enjoyable or wonderful as the first trilogy set in the Mistborn world (so if you're a fan of the first trilogy, I wouldn't have very high expectations), but I loved it nonetheless. The discrepancy in time periods from the first few books and the one in this trilogy was definitely something to get used to. In this installment, instead of swords and Mistborns, we have guns and a slightly different variation of the powers represented in the first trilogy.

2. Plot
When this novel begins, technology has advanced and three hundred years have passed since the prior events of the first Mistborn trilogy; we are informed of a man named Waxillium Ladrian, the main character, who is a lawkeeper from a place called the Roughs. He is a rare Twinborn, someone who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. Then, when he retires from the Roughs after twenty years, we come back to Elendel (also known as the City), which is much different -or perhaps more dangerous- then before.

3. Sexism
Like in the first trilogy, the sexism in the society of this world is nicely shown subtly through quotes and details in the story. Although, unfortunately, there is much cissexism shown throughout the story (something I'm not surprised about when it comes to novels of all genres and age ranges), quotes made by the main female character, Marasi, gave me a look into the deleterious effect of gender roles of this place and definitely spiked my interest.

(Page 97) "'It's just that...' She raised a hand to shade her eyes and looked down in embarrassment. 'It's just...Oh, all right. I'm studying legal justice and criminal behavioristics.'

'That's something to be ashamed of?' Waxillium said, sharing a confused look with Wayne.

'Well, I've been told it's not very feminine,' she said."

(Page 174-175) "'Don't think that you can't because you're a woman; high society might lead you to believe that, but it doesn't matter out beyond the mountains. Out there, you don't have to wear lacy dresses or smell like flowers. You can belt on some revolvers and make your own rules. Don't forget, the Ascendant Warrior herself was a woman.'

[I skipped a couple quotes in this part.] She smiled. 'I like the lacy dresses and smelling like flowers. I like living the city, where I can demand for modern conveniences.'"

3. Character Development
Waxillium, in the first half of the novel, tries to avoid his old Rough-like (no pun intended) tendencies and struggles especially with the death of one who was close to him. Although his mourning of that person continues throughout the book, he pushes through it as he goes on an adventure to save the women taken by the Vanishers. However, Wayne's presence brings a bit of comic relief, and their camaraderie remains solid.

Marasi goes from being ashamed of her interests to embracing it, a transition I really appreciated.

4. The Writing
The writing, expectantly, was great to read and kept me captivated, the author's prose shaping delicate images in my mind; the action scenes were fast-paced and nicely done.

5. Conclusion
In conclusion, this was a nice read, although the pacing felt a bit slow in some parts. If you're a fan of the first Mistborn trilogy, I suggest you pick this up.

What an amazing book!

Note: I haven't done a book review in a long time, and because of school and such, I haven't found the motivation to. Starting now, I'll be trying my hardest to review most of the books I read from here on out, and possibly write reviews for books I've already read!

1. Summarized Thoughts
This is my favorite installment of this trilogy, and I already missed the characters dearly a few moments after finishing, feeling a kind of tug in my stomach that I haven't felt in a while (or that probably could've been the tons of Sun Chips I ate earlier...oops); that's how I know I've really enjoyed a book. The pictures, as expected, were intriguing and despite my reviews for Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children and the sequel, Hollow City (I wouldn't suggest reading them, they're really cringey), I really enjoyed the writing overall.

2. Plot
I can't say much about the plot because this is the third book in the series and this is a non-spoiler review, but I can say that in this novel, it takes turns that I didn't see coming (but let's be real, I'm not good at detecting foreshadowing or any of those complex words that I don't know the meaning of), and goes along smoothly and surely.

3. Character Development
How much Jacob has changed from book one is both astonishing and wonderful, and as for the other (old and new) characters, I got to know them better as well. Considering that this trilogy took place over the span of a few weeks, the individual development of the characters was interesting to see, although I wasn't that surprised, also considering all the trouble they got into. I must say, however, that Addison is the best literary dog of all time, and getting to see more of him was really nice.

4. The Romance
When I read the first two books, I was quite opposed and uncomfortable about Emma and Jacob's relationship; it weirded me out, to say the least. But after reading this book, I wasn't against it at all. Seeing their adventure in this book and looking back on the previous ones, I realized I loved their chemistry and the way they helped each other throughout the series. That was enough for me.

5. The Writing
The writing was wonderful, and I feel that it's drastically improved over the course of this trilogy, which is unsurprising - the more you write the better you get, after all. It easily absorbed me into the story, and I loved the jokes strung throughout the story.

6. Conclusion
If you enjoyed the first two books, I highly suggest you pick this one up as soon as you can! I'm sad to see this amazing trilogy end, and I'll definitely revisit the series when the movies start coming out, a reread that I'm eager to start.

So great, yet so wordy!

What Really Happened In Peru: 3/5
The Runaway Queen: 4/5
Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale: 4.25/5
The Midnight Heir: 5/5
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort: 4.5/5
Saving Raphael Santiago: 4/5
The Fall of the Hotel Dumort: 5/5
What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You're Not Officially Dating Anyway): 5/5
The Last Stand of the New York Institute: 3.75/5
The Course of True Love (And First Dates): 5/5
The Voicemail of Magnus Bane: 5/5 (My favorite one)

Final Rating: 4.4/5 stars

I loved this book! The way the narrator was written was very convincing when it came to the voice of an elderly woman; the pacing was very steady and relaxing, very accurate when considering the life of an elder. This book made me think, specifically about the topic of dementia. Overall, a great novella that I wouldn't hesitate to reread!

Rating: 5/5 stars. 

This is my non-spoiler review of Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall. 

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars. 

"I hear the bullies at school and the bully in my own mind."

1. Summary

Sugar centers around an overweight Puerto Rican-Polish girl who doesn't feel comfortable in her own skin-she goes by the name "Sugar" Legowski-Gracia and at age seventeen, has to take care of her obese mother (who cannot move from her bed) as well as her discourteous brother, Skunk. Due to her large size, Sugar constantly receives ridicule, from her classmates at school to her brother and mother. Then, when she meets Even, she gets to go through the experience of having a friendship with someone who sees her for who she is on the inside instead of the outside. Soon Sugar will have to choose whether she should do what's best for herself or her family. 

2. Summarized Thoughts

Aside from some of the problems I had with some of the characters (whom I felt to be very cliche) and the writing, this book was a great eye-opener to much of the ridicule and issues overweight/obese people go through. Definitely not the best book on obesity, but a nice read nonetheless. 

3. The Romance

What I liked about the relationship between Sugar and Even was the fact that they had a strong friendship before going into a romantic bond. The only negative thing I have to say about their relationship is how perfect Even seemed to be; his character developed, but it would've been nice if Even wasn't portrayed as utterly amazing from the moment his character was introduced. Other than that, I enjoyed seeing their relationship flesh out throughout the novel.

4. Cliches

When it came to the bullies in this story, they seemed very typical (especially the female characters). Some of the things they said felt like they could ripped from the script of the average high school movie. Otherwise, the bullying seemed very real and made me sympathize with Sugar immediately.

5. The Writing

The writing wasn't that impressive (which was expected, seeing it was a self-published novel), but contained quite a few eye-opening quotes that I'll look back on.

In conclusion, Sugar is a book I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking to pick up a quick story on self-image and developed relationships.

Buy it @ Amazon 

I know, I know. Sorry, but this looked fun and I really enjoyed getting to know a little more about everyone else who took part in this.

Thanks to Hunger For Knowledge - I don't know if this where it started but it's where I saw it first, I think.

1. Are you named after anyone?

Sort of. My older brother was named after a 16th century revolutionary that my mum read about when she was expecting. When I came along, my parents thought it would be cute to give me the female version of the same name. It's not the only instance where our appreciation of what constitutes cute differs. I maintain it was sheer laziness - they could call both offspring in one go.

 
2. When was the last time you cried?

Last week? Can't remember what about tho - probably a tv advert.  

3. Do you have kids? 

No.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Yes. Absolutely. Like many others on here (it seems), I'm an introvert but I do like going on adventures and hanging out with my friends - just not large groups of strangers. 

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

It's my happy place. Really, I try to curb in public but the world conspires to test my patience. 

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

Sure, but only after I master how to use anti-gravity.

7. What’s your favourite cereal?

The only cereal I enjoy is porridge. Best with fruit or honey.

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their smile. 

9. What is your eye colour?

Brownish.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

I don't do scary.

11. Favourite smells?

The sea. Fresh cut grass. The forest after it's been raining.

12. Summer or winter? 

Spring and autumn. Living in Scotland they all blend into one, tho. Or they all appear happen in the same day. 

13. Computer or television?

Computer and book. I had not even switched the tv on for weeks before the French Open started.

14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home?

Singapore but I'm trying to change that.

15. Do you have any special talents?

Getting lost. It is inevitable.

16. Where were you born?

Germany.

17. What are your hobbies?

Reading, going on adventures, tennis, music. 

18. Do you have any pets?

No. I'm not at home much and it would not be fair on the pet. I'd love a dog at some point again, tho.

19. Favorite movie?

No. That's like asking what is your favourite book. It depends on the circumstances and mood. 

20. Do you have any siblings?

One brother.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Indiana Jones.

1. Are you named after anyone? Nope.
2. When was the last time you cried? Early May. 
3. Do you have kids? Nope.
4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? Yes.
5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yep.
6. Will you ever bungee-jump? Nope.
7. What’s your favorite cereal? Cheerios.
8. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Appearance.
9. What is your eye colour? Dark brown.
10. Scary movie or happy endings? Happy endings.
11. Favorite smells? New books and sugar cookies.
12. Summer or winter? Winter.
13. Computer or television? Computer.
14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home? Longview, TX.
15. Do you have any special talents? Not really.
16. Where were you born? Texas.
17. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, singing.
18. Do you have any pets? Nope.
19. Favorite movie? The Hunger Games (I haven't seen many movies).
20. Do you have any siblings? Yes, two brothers.
21. What do you want to be when you grow up? An author.

Paul Read or Dead want a shelfi. Here is one of mine. I try my best to fit in as many books as I can as you all can see. And, it's a bit of a mix of books...lol...

The fatphobia blasted towards Sugar is so depressing; the writing is average, but I'm excited to see where the plot goes. I plan on reading this entire novel today.

I took a break from this one to read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (the movie comes out tomorrow), and now I'm back to being absorbed by this story!

I am loving this!

This was a very light, enjoyable read; the only prominent flaws I found was somewhat choppy, sometimes tell-instead-of-show writing.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars