V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta Book and Mask Set by Alan Moore
Published by DC Comics on April 27, 2021
Pages: 296
Format: Paperback
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil.
The inspiration for the hit 2005 movie starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, this amazing graphic novel is packaged with a collectable reproduction of the iconic V mask.

Hello!
Welcome back to the blog! I’m really glad that I have a place to document at least some of the books I read. I never really post reviews about personal development books on here, because in general how you feel about those books truly depend on where you are at in life and what you feel you can get out of them.

Back to the real reason you are here though, the book review. The Creating & Co book club for the Noir Readathon back in February chose V for Vendetta as one of the group books. I’ve been a little out of sync with participating in readathons and specific book clubs read, since a good chunk of 2020 sent me into such a reading slump.

Thankfully Matt found the trade book at one of our local used bookstores recently and decided to snatch it up. I really enjoyed reading it, though it took me longer than I expected for a graphic novel. The graphics of the novel were deep and brooding and the words left me thinking and spiraling in my head. I have also seen parts of the movie though sometime soon I plan on rewatching the movie again, just to see how it compares to the book.

I would definitely recommend the graphic novel if you have only seen the movie. I should warn you that I’m told that like the movie there are definitely some graphic moments so if that isn’t your jam don’t read it. I’m definitely moving right along with reading these days and hope to see you soon with another post!

The Sun is also a Star

3 / 1 / 212 / 27 / 21

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Published by Random House Children's Books on November 1, 2016
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Emotions & Feelings, New Experience, Romance, General
Pages: 384
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

The #1 New York Times bestseller and National Book Award Finalist from the bestselling author of Everything, Everything will have you falling in love with Natasha and Daniel as they fall in love with each other.
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
***
"Beautifully crafted."--People Magazine
"A book that is very much about the many factors that affect falling in love, as much as it is about the very act itself . . . fans of Yoon’s first novel, Everything Everything, will find much to love—if not, more—in what is easily an even stronger follow up." —Entertainment Weekly
"Transcends the limits of YA as a human story about falling in love and seeking out our futures." —POPSUGAR.com

Hello Everyone!
I’m back with yet another book review. I had read Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything last month read the review here in case you haven’t read it. So, I wanted to read the rest of her books that she has out so far, which is this one. I know that this one was also made into a movie, which I will probably watch at some point.

I loved that this book takes place over the course of one day and all the little things that can add up to bigger moments in a person’s life. I also liked the fact that Nicola Yoon used the same back and forth style in this book as she did with her other book. I also especially liked that she added in the perspective/ mini history of smaller characters throughout the story.

If you haven’t read any of Nicola Yoon’s books I highly recommend that you do. I think they are well crafted and will make you fall in love with your characters quickly. If you hate YA novels or romances at least attempt to give one of these books a chance.

Let me know if you have read this or any of other Nicola’s Yoon’s novels. I hear that she has another one coming out soon. I hope to see you again in another post!

Everything, Everything

1 / 26 / 211 / 31 / 21

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Published by Random House Children's Books on September 1, 2015
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, New Experience, Friendship, Romance, Contemporary
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Risk everything . . . for love with this #1 New York Times bestseller.
What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
Everything, Everything will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. It's an innovative, inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more.
And don’t miss Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also A Star, the #1 New York Times bestseller in which two teens are brought together just when it seems like the universe is sending them in opposite directions.

Hello!
I’m back with yet another book review. The next post I write will be a life update and what I hope to happen to the blog in the coming year. Let’s get back to the reason you are here.

I recently finished my third book of the year technically. I also finished a self-help book, which I don’t post about on social media because I read those purely for personal reason. I had the opportunity to pick up Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon at a local used bookstore so of course I jumped at the chance. I had heard much hype surrounding the book especially since it was made into a movie in recent years, so I was definitely interested in what the hype was about.

This YA fiction delves into the world ask seen through Madeline Whittier’s eyes. The book serves as a journal exploring her life around her 18th birthday and the year that follows. It is in this year that Madeline meets and falls in love with her next door neighbor Olly as well as discovering the truth about her past.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, while I did love the journal entries throughout Madeline’s year at the end of the book I am left wondering about Madeline’s future. While the book leaves you with a happy ending you are also left wondering what might come next. I did enjoy reading the book and probably could have read it all in one sitting if I had let myself and get lost in the short entries and the brushes with first love I let myself stretch it out a bit, so I could soak it in.

I would recommend reading this book if you are interested in a quick rather lighthearted read.

Where’d you go, Bernadette?

11 / 11 / 2011 / 11 / 20

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
on August 14, 2012
Pages: 330
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Bernadette Fox has vanished.
When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces--which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter's love for her mother.

Hello!
I’m back with yet another book review. I’ve finally been getting out of my reading slump and reading more. Also hopefully I will be able to make my reading goals for this year, even though there was pretty big slump in the middle of the year.

I decided to make this a combined book and movie review because when I found out that this book was going to be made into a movie I knew that at some point I would need to do a comparison. In case you haven’t seen the movie, which is currently available on Hulu at the time of writing this. Check out the trailer below

I enjoyed the book and I probably could have finished it in one sitting since the twists and turns of the characters kept me turning pages and wanting to get to the end faster. As you can see from the movie trailer the basic synopsis of the story is the an eccentric architect marries a boring computer programmer and they have a child. The live in Seattle where the architect, Bernadette doesn’t get along with her neighbors. The daughter Bee decides that for her middle school graduation present that she would like for the family to take a trip to Antartica, soon Bernadette is wrapped up in the preparations for the trip ignoring everyone else. I won’t give away the ending of the book though I will say that it is different from the movie.

There are some big differences between the book and the movie. In the book, Bernadette has taken off for the trip to Antartica for months before Elgin and Bee decide to go on the trip themselves to find her. It is also during this time that Elgin’s admin Soo-Lin has fallen in love with him and become pregnant with his child. Also during this time you find out that Audrey and Kyle have gotten away to a rehab center to fix their relationship and deal with Kyle’s drug problem.

I love that the book is written through Bee’s eyes and through documents that she has acquired from her mother and the FBI. I love the intrigue the author brings with every turn of the page as to where Bernadette went and what actually happened to her.

Let me know if you have read this book or have seen the movie and what you thought of it. See you soon!

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

9 / 3 / 209 / 1 / 20

Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives by Dan Millman
Published by HJ Kramer on April 13, 2006
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story of Dan Millman, a world champion athlete, who journeys into realms of romance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit. Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates and tempted by an elusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan is led toward a final confrontation that will deliver or destroy him. Readers join Dan as he learns to live as a peaceful warrior. This international bestseller conveys piercing truths and humorous wisdom, speaking directly to the universal quest for happiness.

Hey!

I’m back yet another book review, which I suppose is good for me finally decluttering some of the books that have sat on my shelf forever. I’m not against buying and keeping books, but I am a recovering shopaholic and bookstore junkie and buying material things for the sake of buying things isn’t good. All those thoughts if you really want to know will be for another post or another conversation.

The book we are reviewing today is Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. I was interested in reading the book after I saw the movie trailer, but never actually got around to seeing the movie in 2005/2006ish. Here’s the trailer in case you want to see it:

I loved the book and came away with some good thought provoking quotes. I would be interested in seeing the movie, but it’s not on any streaming service currently, so I guess I’ll wait it out. Also the book is part of a 3 book series of which I hope to get to the rest in the future.

Have you read this book or seen the movie? What other books have you been reading lately? I feel like time is flying by so fast these days though my reading has been in quite a slump this year. So we read on. I hope to see you again soon in another post!