holes In My brain

Favourites of 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 22:30:00 +0000

Favourite Books of 2015

Adult:
The Martian by Andy Weir
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

YA:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Non-Fiction:
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Honourable Mentions:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

(see: all the books I've read this year, my Goodreads)

Favourite Movies of 2015

Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The End of the Tour
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (yes, this choice surprises me too)

Honourable Mentions:
Whiplash
Inside Out
Spotlight
Far from the Madding Crowd
Your Sister's Sister

Favourite TV Shows of 2015

Master of None

Last Week Tonight

Brooklyn 99

Honourable Mentions:

Jessica Jones
The 100

Game of Thrones

(I've pretty much stopped watching TV this year, much to my own surprise)

Favourite Podcasts of 2015

Hello Internet (got me into podcasting)
WTF Podcast with Marc Maron (got me through Europe)
Call Your Girlfriend
The Bugle
Untitled Patrick Rothfuss Podcast

Honourable Mentions:
The Nerdist / You Made it Weird
Serial
Dear Hank & John
First Draft with Sarah Enni / This Creative Life

----

And to the lovely readers of this post:

I hope your 2015 was filled with good books, movies, music, friends, and family. I've always enjoyed doing extravagant year-end lists, but this is all I felt like doing this year. It's not much, is it? That said, I wrote it because I want to share my interests and pass them on, because that's how I find out about all the wonderful things in my life.
I look at these Favourites lists as these small whispered promises of something good; something great.

Much love and cheers to the coming year,
Audrey

I'd love to hear what your favourites are in the comments below. xo

BR: The Martian

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 04:13:00 +0000

by Andy Weir

There's this movie being made with Matt Damon, directed by Ridley Scott, and all these other famous people. So of course, I read the book (check out that sick cover).

Summary (goodreads):

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My Thoughts:

This one was so good. It might be the hype machine, my love for science, or the ass-clenching last 30 or so pages, but wow, I loved it. I'll be the first to admit that I can probably count on one hand the number of sci-fi books I have read and/or remember reading, but this one has seriously stuck with me. When I pass by it in a bookstore or a grocery store, I'll stop and read a few pages/a chapter/the last 40 pages *shifts eyes*.

You know the docking scene in Interstellar? Andy Weir manages to conjure up the same crazy tension with WORDS. WORDS, you guys, they're kinda great. I loved Mark Watney, he's freaking awesome. I loved the science aspect of this, it's hard to explain, but it's like its own living breathing thing. There's this global feel as you do get to bounce back to Earth at some points in the book, and you really get this swell of affection for humankind.

I'm not one for writing reviews anymore, but well, here's just a recommendation. There's one book on my "best of 2015" bookshelf on Goodreads, and it's this one.

Here's the trailer (but it's kind of spoilery!):

9.2/10

six years of holes In My brain

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 12:29:00 +0000

So, this blog is 6 years old today.

I started it the summer after finishing 10th grade (I remember I did summer school for Physics during that time). I've just graduated from university this past April.

Like, I'm a university graduate.

How does time go so quickly?

YA is different (but also not), the book blogging community has exploded, so many things have changed and evolved, but the love for books has never wavered. I'm so glad I was able to hold on to a small piece of this gargantuan thing they call young adult literature. Thanks for being a part of that, dear reader.

I hope you guys are reading good books. I always hope you guys are reading good books.

Currently [reading]: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Currently [in life]: working for the summer in a lab.

Next [read]: The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne (thanks Nomes for the rec)

Next [in life]: ???????

BR: Saint Anything

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 05 May 2015 12:05:00 +0000

by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen has written 12 novels… and I’ve read every single one of them (she has her own tag). That should be a clue to how much influence she has had over my reading habits these past five years – she’s a staple of Young Adult fiction, and rightfully so (in my opinion).

Summary (goodreads):

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
**

My Thoughts

To be honest, the last book of hers that I really loved was Along for the Ride (perhaps my favourite Dessen book?). Her two books since then have been forgettable disappointments, so while I was excited for Saint Anything, I wasn’t sure if it would be a hit or a miss.

It was a hit.

I hate it when people use the phrase “return to form” because I believe authors (and people) should change and evolve over time, and should never feel constrained by past success. Given that, I just wanted to say that Saint Anything is a return to the wonderfully compelling Dessen books that I fell in love with in the past.

Ah, the characters! I loved the way Dessen portrayed the family dynamics, the looming shadow of Sydney’s incarcerated brother is perfectly noted, having enough of an influence but not overpowering. Her mother and father were well written and nuanced as well, but gosh, I really loved Sydney. I may have found a lot in common with her – studious, invisible types with troublemaker brothers (thankfully not in prison, but also not as big-personality), but her character growth was just so well done. Even without these similarities, I would want to sing praises for days; I really just wanted to follow her story til the end since I was so emotionally invested in her.

Of course, I adored Layla and Mac as well – I’m such a sucker for these people who are busy and full of life and love, and who’ll take the lost people under their wing- I loved the small details Dessen gave her, with the romance books, instruction manuals, and fries. And pizza. Guys, there is pizza for days, and it is glorious. This should be a PSA. I thoguht Mac was so sweet, and I’m glad the romance wasn’t overpowering. Also, the supporting cast was classic Dessen – think Wish Catering from The Truth About Forever – despite limited screen time, they each had their moments to shine. I also adored the callbacks to the Dessen universe (so many!).

The pacing was a little off at times – there was a bit too much info-dump in the beginning and too much closure at the end, but between the two bookends, I felt the novel coasted along at a comfortable pace, I’m not exactly sure if I liked this or not. I'll admit the book is a bit formulaic, but where it works is the execution, and this one worked on pretty much every level.

8.7/10 – because I really did adore this one, Sydney’s character arc was beautiful and earned, the supporting characters were delightful, the writing was engaging, and well… it’s Sarah Dessen. I love her. And you should read her latest, it’s her best one in years.

source: publisher
author twitter / blog / website

BR: All The Rage

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 04:55:00 +0000

by Courtney Summers

I've read every novel (minus novella) that Courtney Summers has published, and I feel like I have this "bond" with her books - mostly because she debuted the year I got into blogging (2009) and I remember reading reviews of Cracked Up to Be and then buying the book for myself just to know what the big deal was (it was a BIG deal). I've been a fan ever since; I've got all her books on my bookshelf back home and all of them are brilliant (several 5-star reads!). I'm gonna plug an interview I did with her a couple years ago because that was on my blogging bucket list (click here!), and I fondly say that she is the "plus one" to my holy trinity of YA authors.

Wow, that was a long intro. Let's get to her book.

Summary (goodreads):

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?
**

My Thoughts

Before I start, I want to mention how important this book is. Summers brilliantly tackled difficult themes and the current discourse around rape, and I want to say that All the Rage is a book that should be read and discussed and thought about. It's a book that is especially relevant in our current cultural climate, where the realities of rape culture are horrific (among many other things), ad Summers intelligently explores the complexities and consequences of our societal standards.

So what about the book? Many good, some not as wonderful.

This first bit is a bit of a rant on the structure as opposed to actual bookish parts: The novel is split into a sort of "Now" and "Before" and "After" type of thing, but I really had some issues with it. Claiming a passage as "Now"sets up a reader to expect certain things, and it can help the reader get into a mindset of timelines, of setting up a story, to expect information that can fit into what "now" should be like. I promise you that I read this book carefully... because I wanted to throw my hands up in exasperation, I was so frustrated. If "now" is NOT the "now", why in the world would you label it as such? I just hated how unnecessarily confusing it is. It's the very first thing that pops up, and it completely throws off the first third of the book. Two weeks before what? Before the "now"? Well, apparently not... The reason I have such harsh feelings about this is that I feel like the confusion I was feeling really hindered my enjoyment and ability to be sucked into the novel immediately. Okay, moving on. That might've been an overreaction, sorry.

The characters... I liked Romy. I liked her a lot, she was well written, gritty, fierce, and very, very raw. And hugely unlikeable at times, but it's part of the package, and it's what makes her stand out. She's a sympathetic and complex character right from the start, Summers has some truly spectacular prose that makes Romy become this very REAL person. I think Summers' writing is her biggest strength, and it is through the fact that the writing is so well done that it actually shields the flaws of the book. The secondary characters just "okay". They have moments to shine, moments to spit out the hard truths or reveal the darkness and cruelty of human beings, but they don't feel as fleshed and nuanced out as I would have hoped. They feel well-placed and well-written, but fall into "prop" mode to move the story along. I get it -- it's Romy's story (rightfully), but I would have liked to see something more (what a vague phrase, I know).

The mystery... okay, in order for a good mystery to work, I personally think there needs to be certain elements: 1) it needs to be interesting, 2) I (the reader) need to care (I just made those up off the top of my head).
Interesting? Yeah, I guess. Not tremendously so, but it gets the point across.
Did I care? Ummm, I guess. Except this is where I felt the book ran into trouble-- it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Does it want to be an examination and commentary of rape culture and young women? Did it want to be a mystery? Did it want to a character exploration of PTSD? It probably wanted to be all these things, and while it worked on certain levels, it also didn't. The mystery just lacked heart. Romy had heart, the mystery did not, if that makes sense. Romy has such a complex relationship with her peers and Penny and her community, but it never felt that Romy was emotionally invested in the mystery for the sake of the mystery-- therefore, I as a reader did not *really* care either. What I DID care about was how it affected Romy, and in that sense, Summers definitely succeeded in making me invested in her character.

I've briefly touched on the writing, but to nobody's surprise, it is superb. It's unforgiving, and deserves the highest of compliments.

It's a book that may be ambitious, but is such a welcome addition to the very relevant discussions we must have as a community. Romy Grey is worth everything and brings the reader into her intimate reality, but at the expense of the overarching mystery. But I dunno, even after writing that, I don't mind. I was always about the characters anyway*.

Well done again, Courtney Summers. You haven't disappointed me yet. Thank you for writing this book.

"You should have believed me." -- the one line that just brooooke my heart.

8.5/10 m - I was frustrated with the structure/set-up, and wasn't as engaged with the mystery plot. I also feel like the marketing/summary for the book is a tad misleading. However, I loved the writing and the characters and the incredibly important themes of All the Rage. It's very, very good, and I'd highly recommend all of you to read it. Also, damn, that cover is PERF.

*I read this book last year, and while the plot doesn't really stick with me, I can still remember the emotions and the writing style. The details might not be there, but I still remember how the book made me feel.

author website / twitter / tumblr

BR: Landline

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 18:31:00 +0000

by Rainbow Rowell

3 down, 1 to go... anyone have a copy of Attachments?

Summary (goodreads):

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

**
My Thoughts

Rainbow Rowell is a disgustingly talented writer.

Am I the right demographic for this book? Probably not. I'm not married, for one. I'm not in love, for another. In any other author's hands, these characters would have felt over the top and terribly cheesy to me (I'm cynical like that), but Rowell really sold it. I believed in Georgie McCool and her imperfections and desperation to make things right.

I remember when I met Rainbow Rowell- she was in Canada for her Fangirl book tour, and during the 45 seconds you get to chat with the author as she signs your books, I remember telling her how Eleanor & Park (my favourite read of 2013) made me believe in love. It was real then, and reading Landline was like a reminder of how well Rowell could make these things feel real. There's just something about the turns of phrase that she uses, how it feels so intimate and real- like it's a small story but the stakes are still so high, because this is life beyond a first kiss and a boyfriend. She also writes some incredible dialogue.

I didn't think it was perfect - the story started snagging somewhere around the last third and it just didn't completely click for some reason; I felt that as it was crossing the finish line, it had already lost its momentum.

Reviewers had mentioned that they didn't find Georgie likeable, but I just found her to feel incredibly alive, and with that came the validation of her emotions and actions and difficulties. I kind of liked that the magic phone was never really explained, although it's a bit of a cop-out, it worked within the story. And oh, how I adored Neal and his dimples (I need to learn to have his temperament).

This is really a love story, and as someone who dislikes love stories, I liked this one a whole lot. It's not for everyone though, because it's the type of story that won't always work for everyone. It's not perfect, but it's very different, very well written, and very, very good.

8.4/10

source: library
author website / twitter / tumblr
Angieville's awesome review just because

BR: The Winner's Crime

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 19:42:00 +0000

by Marie Rutkoski
The Winner's Trilogy; book I

The Winner’s Curse was one of those unsuspecting books that really swept me off my feet- I had such a book crush on it, especially since it left me DYING for a sequel.

Summary (goodreads):

**contains SPOILERS for book I!**

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
**

My Thoughts

So, The Winner’s Crime.

!!!

Let's start with the good bits- the best bits- which are the characters. I loved Arin’s character development, The Winner’s Curse is mostly from Kestrel’s point of view, so it was really exciting to get to learn more about Arin. I liked the character traits he embodied this time around that (mostly) couldn’t be seen in book 1, such as his lack of self-preservation, his risky need to push limits. While he was definitely more complex as a character, I found him frustrating as well-- there was a bit too much push-pull (although we can all agree, his situation really isn't ideal).

It was like the book was filled with these maddening moments where readers are teased over and over again, until I stopped feeling that stirring of surprise and longing for something to just happen already. I'm still a fan of Kestrel, though I had some issues with her INABILITY TO JUST GET WITH ARIN ALREADY (wait what? did I say something?). I liked the new characters introduced—the Emperor is a delightfully awful person (although a bit too familiar), Verex seemed sweet, and Tensen was such a great surprise. Also, Kestrel’s dad deserves a sentence too: here you go, General Trajan.

Where the book failed to earn five stars though, is the plot. The pacing was great, but the plot itself just felt messy at times. A mixture of too many things going on (Empire, Herran, Eastern lands), plus the subplots which theoretically ties well into the plot, but were executed poorly (like the trail is set… just awkwardly, but the final reveal is no less satisfying). Like, there’s this whole part with Arin that felt very “good not great”. It definitely falls to sequel-syndrome, in the sense that it feels like a bridge between books 1 and 3, but I’m also a little wary of what book 3 will bring—I think the plot will be a major make or break factor for the final book in the trilogy. It also calls back to how The Winner's Curse (book 1) felt more contained in terms of both setting and plot, and thus felt more tightly wound and better executed.

Writing? Well done, for the most part, although there was still a bit too much tell-not-show.

So overall, I very much enjoyed reading this sequel, mostly because I adore the characters—Kestrel and Arin. Rutkoski did a fine job keeping their character motivations in check, but there were just other aspects of the book that just didn’t hit the right notes.

8/10 – because it was a valiant effort, but not quite perfect. Rutkoski expanded her world and cast, but at the (minor) expense of plot and secondary characters. Kestrel and Arin are lovingly frustrating (THAT ENDING), but hey, I can deal with that. I can’t wait to deal with that.

The Winner's Crime is released March 3, 2015!

source: e-galley
author website
series website

My mini-review of book one, The Winner's Curse.

BR: All the Bright Places

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 22:51:00 +0000

by Jennifer Niven

TFIOS meets Eleanor & Park is lofty praise, but I don't usually listen to blurbs like that. Instead, I saw how highly rated this book was on goodreads + its subject matter + the other author comparisons... which made me so incredibly stoked to read it (I actually purchased it instead of waiting for the library, that's how badly I wanted it). But of course, this comes with high expectations.

Summary (goodreads):

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
**

My Thoughts

A lot of my thoughts have to do with things I wanted from this book. Perhaps it is a bit unfair to go in with high expectations, to want to be overwhelmed and impressed, to wish for something spectacular. I thought this was it, this would be the one to blow me away. But, well, it wasn't.

To put it in perspective, I got more upset during the acknowledgements than during the book itself.

My reasons for not loving this book has less to do with the book, and more to do with my personal reactions, in a true "it's not you, it's me" reaction. I can recognize how objectively, this book is well done- the main characters are incredibly complex, the writing is whimsical and fitting, and the plot was overloaded with quirkiness.

However, for the life of me, I just couldn't connect with Violet, and at the end of the day, I think that's what is needed for a reader to fall in love with this book. I wasn't really on board with Finch until maybe the halfway point. There wasn't that personal emotional investment in these characters, and I didn't feel like I needed to flip the pages faster to make sure these people are going to be okay at the end-- that feeling, the urgency just wasn't really there, and I think that's what I wanted (and why I was disappointed). And the thing is, I can't really give any reason why - which is why I'm not faulting the book.

What I did like (love) was certain beats of the book. I feel like the 'beats' in the novel (the word just fits, to me, it means like a small chunk of a chapter where things kind of expand for a moment - seriously emotional parts, particular turns of phrases, specific paragraphs of especially powerful writing) were very well done. I could feel myself being pulled in for a second by something Finch does, or something Violet says, but then I'll fall back as the plot continues moving along. I do want to comment on how much I liked Niven's portrayal of Finch - his Awake and Asleep and inbetween, all-consuming feelings were well done-- I liked that Niven wasn't scared to go places with her characters that made my jaw drop (this is true).

There were also parts of the book where I just couldn't really buy into Finch and Violet's romance (and couldn't stand Finch's pushiness, although I understand it's part of the character). It felt very high-school and very insta-love at times. I wish there were more development with the Eleanor aspect, I'm not sure how, but I didn't feel like the closure part hit the right notes for me.

Lastly, I definitely want to discuss how mental illness is such a vital part of this novel - and how well Niven dove head-first into these serious issues. I respect her book's portrayal of the consuming thoughts that an individual is NOT at fault for, the ways she describes fighting and fighting against something that feels so overwhelming and inevitable. It made that big "thing" that happened not feel off, and ultimately made this book heartbreaking and Remarky-able.

7.8/10 - because the characters just didn't do it for me, and with that, I couldn't get as invested in the book as I wanted to be. Perhaps it was my high expectations, but I'm left a bit disappointed. That said, even though it didn't completely connect for me, I'm still singing praises for this one.

source: bought
author website / twitter

BR: Everything I Never Told You

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:54:00 +0000

by Celeste Ng

This novel topped Amazon's Best Books of 2014... and I'm like, oh cool, I guess I'll read it. Plus it's not YA, so huzzah for stepping outside comfort zones!

Summary (goodreads):

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . . So begins this debut novel about a mixed-race family living in 1970s Ohio and the tragedy that will either be their undoing or their salvation. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.

When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart
**

My (brief) Thoughts

Tears and tears.

There's a lot to love about this book. The characters are complex and intriguing; they carry the story as we flit through histories and grief and the moments in life where perspectives clash and misunderstandings happen. Ultimately, it's a book about histories that shape individuals and the dynamics that hold a family together or tear them apart.

The writing was a little heavy handed at times- Ng's prose sometimes felt too 'tell' instead of show, especially regarding James and Marilyn. However, she shines when really creating the suffocating atmosphere of the Lee household, and setting the stage before and after Lydia's death. Each character had his or her own motivations and complex relationship with Lydia, which made the story richer and Lydia's death that much heavier. I appreciated Ng's refusal to shy away from the racial aspect of the novel and the harsh realities befell upon people of colour and intolerance of society, and felt particularly realistic given the time period and setting.

The story is quiet and beautiful and sad, it's about people and their desires and dreams and promises kept because of love. Oh, and tears. Definitely recommended!

8.4/10

source: library
author's website / twitter

Favourites of 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 11:20:00 +0000

GUYS! 2014 is like, over!
This is nuts.

I lovelovelove favourites lists, in fact, one may even say that favourites lists are my favourite lists. I love to see what books resonated with readers at the end of the year, and which books seem to be a consensus favourite so I can pick them up with higher expectations (heh), as well as to see if I've missed out on books I've been meaning to read.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't actually meet my meager goal of 35 books this year-- same old excuses: university, homework, work, life, time, money, TV shows, passive hobbies... but that doesn't mean I didn't read any fan-effing-tastic ones that I'm eager to share. As per the last few years, I'll be copying the same format (see 2011, 2012, 2013 or just look in the sidebar) that was originally adapted from the lovely Nomes at Inkcrush (it's been years now, Nomes! Wowza.)

BOOKS

1. favourite book read in 2014!!!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This book. THIS BOOK!!! It's released in 2012 and it's won a slew of well-deserved prizes. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading it, and when I finally did, it was like the universe had finally calmed down for a moment long enough to let me enjoy the simplicity and beauty of words on a page. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me feel so full of heart and love for these characters that I just want to write jibberish to convey my feelings.

I have so much love for Ari and Dante, and this is the most beautiful book I've read this year.

2. book you were excited about but didn't live up to your expectations

Raging Star by Moira Young. This book makes me a bit angry because I was so emotionally invested and in love with this series (the first book blew me away, the second was a brilliant shocker) and this last one was just frustrating and unengaging and horribly unenjoyable. *frowny face*
There's a handful of other books that could have made this list as well, but this one is the unlucky stand-out.

3. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

ache-y:
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Did you not read what I just wrote above? I ached for these wonderfully realized characters, and their wonderfully realized lives

heart-breaking:
All the Rage by Courtney Summers
This is released in 2015, but boy, did my heart hurt for Romy and boy, did I want to strangle a lot of people.

tearjerker:

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan (The Lynburn Legacy, book 3)
I unashamedly adore SRB and she put readers through a very specific and literary hell for this one

4. delicious, rainy day comfort read

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
This was just such a fluffy, predictable, but still incredibly charming read. Very cute, definitely recommended.

5. adrenalin-filled, unputdownable read

Catalyst by SJ Kincaid
I want to bring some more attention to Kincaid's Insignia series, Catalyst is book 3 (read my review) and this series is just a bundle of fun, fast-paced action with witty retorts and a fantastic protagonist (that I feel Kincaid gleefully put readers through HELL in this last book).

6. the beautiful prose award

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Is this getting unfair yet?

7. most atmospheric and vivid setting

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Another book published in 2012, this time it's an immersing fantasy book about dragons. Dragons!

8. best under-appreciated, hidden-gem book

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
This is a high fantasy adventure that was marketed as Ocean's Eleven meets Robin Hood. It is neither of these things, but it is still fantastic -- great pacing, sympathetic characters, excellent action, shocking twists... give this one a go.

9. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love-this-so award

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

I distinctly remember my friend Eden holding a giveaway for this book and I had no clue what it was about-- she mentioned how it had been super popular in the blogosphere (again, something I was completely oblivious to) but I poked around the interwebs and decided to trust the reviews and picked it up for myself. It was SO much better than I had expected-- I thought it'd be a 3-4 star read, but I think it's like a 4-5 star read, because I was thoroughly entertained and engrossed in the world and the chemistry between the characters.

10. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i ~~loved~~ liked it

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
This is a mix of a memoir/nonfiction story, and I gave it a rating of 7.7/10 (so not "loved", but still enjoyed). I'm putting this on my list mostly because I didn't really read anything outside of my comfort zone (does journal articles for school count?) and this is pretty much the only non-YA, non-fiction book I read this year. I do encourage you to watch her TED talk (here), or, while we are on the topic, Brene Brown's TED talk (here).

11. an unfinished series that i'm loving

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Same as last year! I finished Cress in 2013 (so now I've gone an entire year without a Marissa Meyer book.. *sniff*.. it was fantastic.
Fairest is a companion novel about Queen Levana, and is released in January 2015, while the conclusion, Winter, is released in November. And I am beyond excited.

Honourable Mentions:
The Winner's Curse Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski (I've read book 2 already... so I've got a pretty long wait til the last one)
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (not holding my breath here, though)

12. can't believe i waited so long to read this

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
I can't believe I'm 2 years late to this delightful party.

13. book that lived up to (~~or superseded~~) the hype

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
I expected a solid 4-star read, and I got the solid 4-star read. LaCour is a talented author and I've read and enjoyed (and given 4 stars to) all of her books :) Emmi's job was the coolest!
Also, I didn't want to put Ari & Dante on this list again

14. want to re-read already

Aristotle and Dante....

Yeah, no ragrets.

MOMENTS

1. best plot-twist (no spoilers!)

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

A mild spoiler: "NOOOOOOOOOO HOW COULD YOU" that is all, Mr Lynch, that is all. Not really. You bastard (I say this lovingly).

Honourable Mentions:
Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan-- the above comment works for you, too.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart -- admittedly the hype kind of killed my enjoyment (and memory) for this book, but I apparently really liked it when I first read it (I gave it an 8.5/10). Anywho, great twist.

2. best swoon-worthy moment

"I love swimming - and you."
-this is from a book you can probably guess. I'm not sure if the quote is 100% accurate because I don't own the book (*cries*)... but you get the gist.

3. best cliffhanger

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Not gonna say any more, it's released in 2015.

4. best ending for a stand-alone

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

This one is a re-read.
I get a little choked up when I read "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman, and a ride home." (which like a dork, is something I've memorized, and is why I noticed that it's misquoted in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and that bugged me to no end. Why am I even telling you this?)

5. best ending for a series

Catalyst by S. J. Kincaid (The Insignia trilogy). I didn't finish too many series this year, but oh gosh, Catalyst was so satisfying. Not perfect, but definitely loved the darker tone and the resolution for such an action-packed trilogy.

CHARACTERS

1. most memorable female character

Kestrel - The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Loved her.

2. most memorable male character

Dante - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Or maybe Ari? Is anyone surprised by my lists anymore?

3. favourite friendship

Kami and Angela - Untold/Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan.

They were pretty kick-ass-- a sassy, headstrong detective coupled with a secretly-caring but outwardly apathetic bff. They're sisters, really.

4. favourite relationship

I DARE YOU TO GUESS

I don't really want to spoil it? But like, it should be pretty obvious by now..

5. new literary crush

Probably Dante's parents, or something. I should retire this category, I don't seem to crush on literary characters very much anymore.

6. favourite sibling relationship

Angela and Rusty - Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan
SRB, you sure are making a lot of appearances on this list!

7. best villain

~society~
BECAUSE SOCIETY KIND OF SUCKS SOMETIMES.

All the Rage by Courtney Summers (released April 2015)
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

OTHER

1. favourite cover (of a book i read)

It's just so pretty!!

2. book you're looking forward to the most in 2015

This year's list: The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Winter by Marissa Meyer, Minders by Michele Jaffe, Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Also, any type of book and/or grocery list by Melina Marchetta.

Several debut authors, and a book I've been holding out for for a few years.

Last year's list (strike-outs mean I read them): The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, Raging Star by Moira Young, Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid, The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey.

And to Markus Zusak, WHEN DOES THE BRIDGE OF CLAY COME OUT?!?!??!??!! (just kidding, take your time) <-- pretty sure this comment has been here for the last three years

**

And that's it! Kind of long, kind of repetitive, just like my internal monologues.

Thanks to all of you who have stuck around and read my singular blog post each month (even then, not always). I really appreciated your comments, and I hope to keep it up next year, since I love to set hazardously low bars for myself.

I hope you all read wonderful books and explored worlds and fell in love with characters and prose. Please let me know what your favourite read was this year, I'd love to know!

I'll be posting my favourite movies in the upcoming days, so stay tuned.

Lastly, have a wonderful new year, and an extraordinary 2015. Here's to you! xx

-Audrey

12.26.2014

a Holiday wishlist

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:55:00 +0000

Dear Santa,

For Christmas, I want:

A Quentin Tarantinto-esque YA novel (this is very important, Santa. I've been thinking about this a lot). Must include: twisted off-kilter protagonists, dark but funny dialogue, unexpected character deaths, suspense for the ages, violence (preferably not hypersexualized, though), and someone I can visualize as Christoph Waltz.

A ticket for The Hobbit 3 (to be cashed in tonight).

Sarah Rees Brennan to finish writing a her parodies of The 100 (they are brilliant and got me through watching the entire series). In other news, The 100 is not terrible and has complex female characters and a boatload of grey-tinged morality (the best colour for morality, I say!). It also has a boy named Bellamy and a girl named Clarke who need to get married already.

More time to read books. Or, more motivation to do so. And please make Scarlet (from Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen) not annoying, I'm only a few chapters into the book and I really want to like it but I'm worried it's going to veer into mind-numbingly-frustrating-heroine-slash-love-triangle territory.

A good TV show to watch. The Americans? Broad City? True Detective?

Some tiramisu cake from Costco (let's face it, it's the best dessert ever created).

Winter by Marissa Meyer

My TV shows to come back from hiatus.

Someone to write my best-of list because I'm pretty lazy (hint: you can just put one book for all the categories because it is the best)

**

So... what's on your list?

November! where'd you Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 06:06:00 +0000

Just poking my head in this abandoned blog to lament the end of November. When did this happen? Where did my month go??
Some quickie life things:

-finishing up the semester! Four more "big things" left, so the countdown begins. I've really loved the classes I took, which is a huge bonus

-I'm loving Season 3 of The Newsroom! Also keeping up with The Walking Dead, Arrow, Brooklyn 99, New Girl, Scorpion, Elementary... and sometimes The Flash and The Mindy Project. Hey now... I've cut like 4 or so shows this season! (I stopped watching Gotham, SHIELD, Selfie, and Greys... they just were not doing anything for me) What shows have you been hooked on?

-I'm looking for a fun airplane read! I have a Neil Gaiman book and a Patrick Rothfuss book I want to get around to finishing over the holidays, but I always think plane reads should be fun and action-packed and awesome. Any recommendations? Maybe The Infinite Sea... hmmm...

-CHRISTMASSSSSS. I get to enjoy it while I'm in Toronto, since when I go back home, there's like zero Christmas spirit, ha.

-Two of the most-played songs this month: Railroad Track by Willy Moon, and Monsters by Angus Powell.

-I watched Mockingjay and thought it was awesome! It's a little unnecessary to split it into two parts, but I liked how faithful it was to the book, and the acting is great. I'd love to watch Part 1 and 2 back to back, because it's like a 6 hour adaptation of a book that could actually work on some level (since the first part is, admittedly, not super super exciting)

-Also I LOVED INTERSTELLAR ugh so much. Nowhere near a perfect movie, but boy, I still loved it.

*
Alright, that's it for now! I can't wait for December though, because that means BEST-OF lists and I LOVE THOSE THINGS. I can gather more book recs because it's like getting the cream of the crop :D What's the best book you've read this year? Best movie?

BR: Catalyst

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 03:46:00 +0000

by SJ Kincaid
Insignia trilogy; book III

Guys, I LOVE the Insignia series. Ever since I got tired of reading deep, depressing YA contemporary books, I've been looking for "quick fix" type books that are perfect escapes and full of action and humour-- and this series is exactly what I'm looking for. I was so thrilled to have won an ARC from the author and even more delighted to see what lay ahead.

Summary (goodreads):

**May contain SPOILERS for previous 2 books**

This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.

Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.

Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.
**

My Thoughts

Gosh, I love this series. I don't finish a lot of series, but boy am I glad to have finished this one.

It's a bit slow to start, and it takes some time to get used to the characters, storyline, and terminology again... but it didn't take too long to get up and running again. I LOVED the way Kincaid has evolved her young, exciting action series into something more mature, thought-provoking, darker, and ominous. She went dark, man, I didn't expect it but I really appreciated it anyway. She managed to up the stakes and deal wonderfully with character development.

Although we saw less of Wyatt, there were a few significant moments that I thought were just perfect. She's always been an underdog favourite of mine, and I love her character arc. Blackburn was always a wild-card (though I'll admit, I have forgotten a lot about his role in the earlier books) but I loved that he's a really complex, ambiguous character that I couldn't pinpoint. Vik and Yuri's dialogue was once again pitch perfect; they were unique and so entirely them. And of course, Tom. Tom Raines, I can't say enough good things about you, you wonderful character. Infinite hugs for you. His storyline was just beautifully done, which is kind of difficult when you feel caught up in a Transformers-movie-esque action scene, but still. Harrowing and heartbreaking at times, his progression in this entire series is marvellous. Kincaid gave us a sympathetic character who had to grow into his own, and undoubtedly succeeded.

I liked the plot, although the ending was a bit too tidy for my liking, but the ride was so worth it. I had no idea how they'd get out of this mess, and the resolution was wholeheartedly satisfying. I liked how we ventured a lot further from the Spire and into the 'real world', away from pranks and into murders, villains, and the struggle for humanity.

It's an imaginative series with broad appeal that has great characters, writing, pacing, and heart. As a picky reader, I'm not easily impressed... I'll be sitting here urging you to pick this series up.

Thank you, SJ Kincaid.

9/10

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: people looking for something fun, readable, Harry Potter-esque main character/vibe, a technology-heavy futuristic world

source: author
author website / twitter
goodreads for book 1, book 2 (seriously pick them up!)

oh, September

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 23:05:00 +0000

It's the last day of September so I guess I'll throw something up onto this blog.

First, I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe this month, and IT IS THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR. Granted, I don't read many books, but trust me, this one is such a gem.

Second, school is back and a-rolling. Good luck to my fellow uni friends out there, hang in there! I'm graduating in June so that's pretty...erm...terrifying. But I'm loving the majority of my courses, which is nice.

Third, I'm starting to feel as if I'm getting sick, which sucks :(

Fourth, if you look onto my left sidebar over there, I've updated it so it now shows my favourite book of each year. And yes, I do realize there's an inordinate amount of Melina Marchetta books on that list, I didn't even realize it until I was actually writing it.

Fifth, what TV shows are you guys watching?? I'm a TV fiend, I'm currently trying out some new shows-- Gotham, Scorpion, Selfie, A to Z, The Flash.. I'm doing my best not to get roped into too many new shows this year. I'm really curious about How to Get Away With Murder as well, but I'll probably wait until Christmas break and watch like ten episodes.

That's it! Hope your guys' Septembers were beautiful and full of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. May the pumpkin-ness infest your Octobers as well!

Audrey
x

BR: The Lies of Locke Lamora

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 03:30:00 +0000

by Scott Lynch
Gentlemen Bastards sequence; book I

The moment I saw the summary for this book months and months ago, I wanted to read it. Wait, scratch that. The moment I saw it described as Robin Hood meets Ocean's Eleven, I needed to read it. Patrick Rothfuss' glowing recommendations certainly helped, too, especially since I am quite unfamiliar with the genre and the gems within it.

Summary (goodreads):

The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a friend to the poor, a ghost that walks through walls.

Slightly built and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich (who else would be worth stealing from?), the poor never see a penny. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves. The Gentleman Bastards.

The capricious, colourful underworld of the ancient city of Camorr is the only home they have ever known. But now a clandestine war is threatening to tear it apart. Caught up in a murderous game, Locke and his friends are suddenly struggling just to stay alive...
**

My Thoughts

First, let me tell you, it's not really Robin Hood nor Ocean's Eleven.

But that's okay. Because it's freaking awesome.

There's two stories to pay attention to, the first is the present-day, where Locke and his gang of Gentlemen Bastards are about to pull off a con. And then the second, where you learn about how Locke got to where he is today. If I had one critique, it'd be how the beginning is pretty slow and it was hard to grasp what was really going on without itching to get to the exciting bits, but it's okay, just power through and you'll be dandy. Oh, and sometimes the pacing gets a little muddled and the descriptions a bit too much, but it's not too overwhelming.

In terms of writing, The Lies of Locke Lamora is not a breathless, fast-paced action book, but it's written in a style that makes you appreciate each sentence, should you choose to pay that much attention. Sometimes my brain stumbles ahead and just the general idea of a sentence will register, but Lynch is a talented writer who will reward those who read carefully, not by dropping hints but by employing lovely turns of phrase. I feel this isn't exactly out of place in most fantasy novels, but it is a welcomed change of pace, especially since it enhances the world-building ten-fold.

Which brings me to the world-building, and it is marvellous. Inspired by the renaissance era, Lynch has masterfully plopped readers into a setting that's endlessly entrancing, from the architecture to the unique set-up of the canals and the towers (again, rewarding careful readers*). I loved the descriptions of food, clothing, weapons, societal hierarchies, currency (I have a fondness of fantastical currency, I think), dukes, religion, and history.

And then of course, we have these wicked, witty, and loveable characters. Locke Lamora is kind of like Tony Stark, and pushes all the right buttons for me. He's too clever and too cocky for his own good, and that gets him into a boatload of trouble. But gosh, I adored these characters, and gosh, Lynch sometimes rips your heart out. I did not see that coming**.

I underestimated this book. I thought it would be in the same vein as The Name of the Wind, and it's not-- not really (well, if you try hard enough, you'll find some parallels). It stands its own, and it's exciting, has great twists, great stakes, crafts an immersive world and has a stunningly charismatic main character that you'll want to stick around to watch.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: Fans of The Name of the Wind, those looking for an awesome fantasy book that feels a bit YA-ish but also has some adult crossover
Acknowledgements: 3/5

8.5/10

*I myself may not have fully absorbed the awesomeness, but I did recognize it as awesome when it was floating through my brain.
**you bastard

source: bought
author blog / twitter / website

happy Canada Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:16:00 +0000

I know, I know, I missed the June blog post. ARGH. MY BAD.

Firstly, Happy Canada Day to my fellow humans! Canada is the true north strong and free and simply the best place to live ever ever ever. For realsies, why don't you believe me? If you don't believe me, believe Patrick Ness:

I always loved that tweet ;)

Anyway, while you're here, I might as well give you some life updates to make up for my two month absence.

I've started a new job at a lab for the summer, and it's going really well. The best part so far has been the fact that everyone (including me) is obsessed with the World Cup, so for the past two weeks, there's always been a game on and it's exciting, fun, and hilarious. I'm cheering for Argentina and France because I bet 5 bucks that they'd make it to the finals (before this year, I had no interest in soccer whatsoever, ha!). If you're in Canada, CBC has FANTASTIC coverage (huzzah, Canadians!), they streams all the games for free online and even on mobile/iPads/etc.

Which of course, brings me to the next point: the World Cup!!! WAY TOO EXCITING. WHEEEE ZERO PRODUCTIVITY! Huzzah for rain + white jerseys = distinctive abs ;)

I went skydiving on Saturday! It's a lot of fun, but I wish there was a more intense "freefall" sensation, because it felt like as soon as I jumped, the air resistance was pushing me up... I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I liked bungee jumping a bit more, just because there was more time of falling. Skydiving was a blast though.

I've watched a ton of movies last month, and I'd REALLY recommend Edge of Tomorrow, even if it includes Tom Cruise. It's entertaining as heck, has a great plot, character arcs (yes, they exist!), and excellent action. Definitely underrated but trust me, it's really good! How To Train Your Dragon 2 was also a bundle of fun (god, I want a dragon so bad), and 22 Jump Street was everything it promised to be. So yeah, if you're bored, go watch movies :) If you have any recommendations for movies that are out on DVD right now and are really good, I'd LOVE to know.

In terms of books read, I most recently finished Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour. I think LaCour is an author I can count on for solid four-star reads-- there's nothing really detracting about the book, it's quite enjoyable but not quite on the favourites list. So yeah, recommended. The book I read before that was Raging Star by Moira Young, which sucked so bad it makes me angry thinking about it. And before that was We Were Liars by E. Lockhard, which was well written. I know, I'm so descriptive, right?

I'm not sure what I'm reading next, I want to get around to The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch but I haven't been in a fantasy mood recently. As usual, I'll say follow me on goodreads, it's where I update most frequently in regards to reading. You can also observe my failure to read a hefty number of books.

Courtney Summers is releasing an e-novella sequel to This is Not A Test!! It's called Please Remain Calm and I AM ANYTHING BUT.

My mum sent me pineapple cakes from Taiwan and they are delicious.

OKay, I think that's all for now. Again, apologies for not updating last month... oops. Life, am I right?

BR: Open Road Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 03 May 2014 05:34:00 +0000

by Emery Lord

I can’t believe I’m writing a review, I swear it is really only because Goodreads is down at the moment and I had a lot of thoughts.

Summary (goodreads):

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.
**

My Thoughts

I’m not exactly sure what drew me to the book initially, maybe it was the Taylor Swift-ness, the promise of female friendships, or the very specific vibe set by the cover, but I borrowed it from the library and gave it a shot. And was very disappointed.

So like, 70% of it is an “it’s not you, it’s me” type of deal. Because while it certainly has many redeeming qualities I’ll discuss later, the biggest deal was that I just didn’t have the patience to deal with Reagan, the main character and narrator. It boiled down to me not giving a shit about her, to put it bluntly, so while her life escapades might be exciting (but I liked Dee’s more), I just wasn’t into it at all. The only reason I finished was because I’ve already read like 200 pages and I wanted to know how it would end.

I found the writing clunky and not to my taste, I remember a few years ago when first-person POV was my favourite because it made everything feel so much more intimate, so I’m not sure if this is an isolated case or I’ve “grown out of it”, but Reagan’s narration seemed really expositional and I just felt like I was constantly hit over the head with things I ought to know, like, I get it—you’re ~edgy~, please, do bring it up every 10 pages just in case I forgot. I can appreciate the how Reagan’s a girl with flaws, but it manifests in a way that I just find super annoying and shallow, her bitchy act and hate for other females was just grating and incessant.

Another thing— I felt absolutely nada for Matt, the love interest. So. Boring. Well, I'll give him a few points because I really like Bob Dylan and guys who are nice to their moms. BUT... boringly charming is how I’d describe it, the type of cookie-cutter love interest that just feels unrealistic, unattainable, and an amalgamation of what an ideal boy should be like. Bleh. And because of that, scenes between Reagan and Matt always fell into either the forced-sassy territory, or eye-rolling because of the “cuteness that unfortunately I did not find cute” area.

The bright spot was the friendship between Reagan and Dee, which I found hit most of the right notes and was more interesting to read about. The music lyrics were also cute in the rhyming department.

Rating in HP Terms: Poor
Recommended for: I dunno, One Direction fans? People looking for books about friendship?
Acknowledgements: 2.5/5

6.8/10 – because I had originally rated it a wee bit higher but writing this just made me realize that I really didn’t enjoy this book that much at all. The characters weren’t my thing, the narration was really not my thing, and the bright spots didn’t make the read feel worthwhile. So yeah, sorry for a mini-rant, blame the fact that goodreads is down. But some last words from this old hack—it’s a decent summer read and it’s got a pleasant vibe if you’re in the mood, so if that sounds like your thing, give it a shot.

source: library
author website / twitter

several mini-Reviews + misc things.

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:45:00 +0000

Hello, lovelies!

Firstly, I finished third year of university! My last exam was on Friday and then I went to Wonderland (Canada's super-duper awesome amusement park) on Saturday, and now I'm finally relaxing and celebrating the end of the semester. I really, really enjoyed this term (well, most of the time), I took some fantastic courses and really just felt like I was learning things that I wanted to learn, which was a great feeling. Plus I'm happy with my marks, and the fact that those hours and hours of studying paid off. But now I'm so ready for summer, except my summer will mostly be consisting of working full time with some down-time in August, so fingers crossed that the job goes well. I don't think I've ever mentioned this on my blog-- you can follow my Instagram where I'll probably post more regularly than once every two months. If you want. No pressure.

I fully intend on spending my free time between now and mid-May catching up on TV, watching Breaking Bad (maybe? because I've been talking about it/meaning to watch it for YEARS), reading more books, and waiting around for actual decent movies to come out.

Also, I actually read books in April! Crazy, right? Some mini-reviews:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (7.7/10)
-click for summary-
I've heard of this one quite a bit, and there was quite a healthy mix of critique-- I've read both raving reviews and very critical ones. I wasn't going to pick this up originally, but I was wandering around a bookstore one day and decided to try this one out.
I liked it, mostly. I thought the plot was interesting, the characters were pretty good, the action was well-written... but everything felt kind of forgettable. I read this maybe two weeks ago, and I can probably only tell you the bare-bones of the plot and the fact that there's a love triangle and the main character is very perfect (but I must add a disclaimer that I have a terrible memory for books nowadays). Throne of Glass entertained, but just never stuck with me. If I get around to continuing this series (in which there'll be six, yes SIX, books, I can just hope it gets better. I've heard great things about the sequel, but it seems like only hardcore fans of book 1 end up reading book 2, so that says something).

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (8.8/10)
-click for summary-
Honestly, if Eden didn't feature a giveaway of this book and mention in passing how much hype it has gotten, it would have completely slipped under my radar (my hype radar is really defective, okay? It picks up everything TFIOS and nothing else, to my great dismay). I read her review and a few others on goodreads, and while I remained a bit skeptical about the plot and the themes, it piqued my interest.
These days I really just look for books that I can escape into, and The Winner's Curse satisfied all my expectations and more. I was thoroughly entertained throughout, I thought the world-building was well done, the characters were engaging, and the fact that 'big plot things' happen (plus we see the aftermath, not just end on a cliffhanger) was a bonus. I don't really rate or discuss books objectively, but subjectively, I really enjoyed it.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (7.9/10)
-click for summary-
Look, an adult book! I'm not exactly sure where I first heard of this one, but once again, I was wandering through the bookstore and saw an empty seat. I can't just sit down without a book, so I grabbed The Rosie Project and started flipping through it.
This book caught me by surprise because it was more fun than I expected, plus it was a really easy read. The main character, Don, provides a unique narration (someone compared him to Sheldon Cooper), and albeit I liked Rosie, I never really loved her. I thought their connection, while cute, felt a bit stale at times (Rosie often just seemed like a well-constructed foil), but there's some laugh out loud moments, and I enjoyed the subtle tint of science. Not the most brilliant book ever, but a fun vacation read.

--

Alright, I think that's all for now.
If you have any book recommendations, I'd love to know! Something fast-paced and action-packed, preferably... these days I'm not so into reading about serious issues.

Sunshine and more sunshine,

oh no, the streak Ended

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 01:15:00 +0000

Ahhhh I didn't get a post up for March!! I feel terrible, mostly cause I feel like I let myself down (who reads my posts anyway?) since it was like, the ONE THING I promised for this blog. You had one job, Audrey, just one job.

It was just such a crazy hectic end to the month though, my classes were wrapping up and with it, came loads of in-class exams, assignments, and papers due. But alas, class is over on Friday, I've got a paper and three final exams left for April, then summer!! Here's a belated post for last month...

1. The How I Met Your Mother finale. I don't really know what to think... I don't think I hated it as much as a LOT of people did, but it was definitely a roller-coaster of emotions. Definitely had a few teary moments, and it'll always be a series I'll look back upon fondly (despite this very meh final season).

2. Gosh I'm just so freaking excited to be done classes. To be honest, I really enjoyed my courses this semester, I learned a lot about things I was (mostly) genuinely interested in (I mean, I learned Python. What. But it was a great experience), and it reminded me about why learning is so important and enriching, despite being accompanied by too much stress.

3. Game of Thrones starts on Sunday! Eep :)

4. I keep meaning to start reading more books, but every time I want to pick up a *serious* book, I just stop. I want to read something light, thrilling, action-packed, and not too mushy but still emotional.

5. My favourite new TV show this year was Brooklyn Nine Nine. It's actually a really funny sitcom, and I'd definitely recommend it (brought to you by the people who made Parks & Rec, another one of my favourite shows!)

6. Goddammit Toronto, you are far too cold. You've smartened up this past week, but still, thanks for that miserably cold, snowy, gross March weather. Can't wait to put away my sweaters....

7. I was grocery shopping yesterday and my cart consisted of yogurt, granola bars, frozen perogies, animal crackers, Dunkaroos, and "crumpets". Why is adulting so hard? I don't even know what the call "real food" anymore... I mean, I don't eat meat, I don't know how to *cook* vegetables, I'm too lazy to buy fruit (they always go bad before I can eat them)... which just mean I eat a lot of carbs (hell yeah, carbs!) and Tim Horton's.

8. lol canucks

9. lololololol leafs

10. Here's to a happy April, to my fellow Canadian uni friends, good luck on finals! There's light at the end of the tunnel! :)

--xx Audrey

PS- I promise to post something at the end of April, too!

on the last day of February..

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 03:08:00 +0000

A long time ago I promised to always post something every month to this blog, but like, February is missing three days so I'm in a bit of a bind. Nevertheless, here is some brain vomit!

1. I read two books over reading week, Also Known As by Robin Benway, and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Both are solid 4-star-ish books.

2. There has been a squirrel invasion in my house (okay, that's a bit of an overexaggeration) but it's been stressful :( One of our ceiling panels fell down because the squirrel thought it'd be fun to do laps above the living room.

3. I can't believe there's only like a month of classes left, where has third year gone?! What is adulthood? What is life?

4. Did anyone watch the Olympics? .... *crickets*

Only time in four years I care about bobsleigh.

5. Roll up the rim at Tim Horton's is going on... I'm 1/5 right now.

6. This update is pathetic. I wish my life were more interesting. It's probably cause I have barely read any books.

7. IT IS SO COLD, GODDAMMIT TORONTO.

I think I'll just quietly post this and not tweet it or anything, because like, what even did I write?

Also, is it the day after Easter yet, because I seriously want to get those Cadbury eggs... on sale.

Here's a cute video.

Cheers.

Audrey

BR: Cress

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:58:00 +0000

by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles; book III (of four)

I remember that I was late getting onto the bandwagon with Cinder. I read Scarlet a few months after its release… and they were both so incredibly imaginative and action-packed and chalk-full of wonderful character. To say I was delighted to get the chance to read Cress is a gross understatement.

Summary (goodreads)

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can
**

My Thoughts

Oh. My. God. Marissa Meyer, you genius.

I loved this book. It’s like a giant blend of everything I love about the Marvel movies (Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers etc.. if you’ve been living under a rock) in the sense that it’s a tornado of fabulous characters, witty one-liners, imaginative storytelling, interweaving plots, secondary characters that dazzle (Iko!), wonderful writing and such a stunningly evil villain.

Marissa Meyer, are you Joss Whedon?

How’s that for an endorsement? I love being able to be completely enthusiastic about books that I just, quite honestly, really really really enjoyed reading. Just reading these words and these people makes me happy and gives me endorphins or something, which creates a positive feedback loop that results in this review.

In Cress, a new character is introduced—Crescent Moon, Levana’s (the baddie) best hacker who has Earthen sympathies and joins the ragtag group led by Cinder to try and save the world. No pressure or anything. That’s all I’m going to say about the plot, and it’s a mighty damn good one, full of twists and jump cuts, but honestly, it’s slightly overwhelmed by how great the characters are. I don’t think I can even express how much I love them—they’re just a perfect blend of funny, sympathetic, flawed, and kick-ass. They’re what makes the series worthwhile and especially their interactions and relationships. I loved reading about the Wolf and Scarlet dynamic, and can’t wait to see how that plays out, along with the tiny glimpse of Winter. It’s always dangerous when the number of ‘main’ characters seems to grow so much; it runs into the problems of some important people being pushed off to the side. Luckily, I think this book avoided that and managed to give a nice, satisfying dose of each character, along with doing a great job familiarizing readers with new ones.

I love the world that Meyer created, with both the futuristic Earth and the looming Luna, and how people from the two planets are different—particularly with the Lunar powers which I found an interesting touch. The fairy tail influence really gave it a nice feel, and I appreciated how grand the scale of things are, which ups the ante and sets up book 4 for a thrilling conclusion.

Overall, this was one of my favourite books of 2013.

Rating in HP Terms: Outstanding!
Recommended for: people who enjoy fairytale retellings with a great twist, Firefly, underdogs staring a rebellion (hell yes!)
Acknowledgements: none in ARC

9.1/10 – because I loved it! Cress is a perfect blend of storytelling and action, and combined with a cast of characters that I would want on my team when I face the zombie apocalypse, it really doesn’t get any better than that. As I mentioned, I just overall had a great time reading it (I really hope that’s a thing, or else I’d sound crazy) so I unabashedly recommend it to everyone. This is definitely a series that only gets better, and I, for one, cannot wait to see how Meyer manages to conclude it in in the final book, Winter.

source: eGalley from Raincoast Books (thank you!)
author website / twitter

Favourite Movies of 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 20:15:00 +0000

Okay lovelies, I have a confession. I watch a lot of movies, and oftentimes, I'll watch a movie instead of reading a book. But that just means I have a ton of favourites that I'd like to share with you-- as usual, this list is personal, biased, purely my opinion, and based on how much I liked a movie, not me evaluating "how good the movie is." You'll probably be able to tell that yes, I do like those blockbuster movies, and nope, I don't care if you judge me. Also, if you're interested, you can click here for my favourites from last year. It's a long post, so sit tight :)

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2013

you can click the picture to make it a wee bit bigger... I guess...

10. 12 Years a Slave

-I can recognize that this movie is a true achievement in filmmaking with incredibly visceral performances, but I can’t exactly say that I loved it. I just know I walked out of the theatre with a heavy, heavy heart.

9. The Way Way Back

-One of my favourite underdog coming-of-age films that was thoughtful, heartwarming, awkwardly funny and made me smile contently. It also seemed to achieve the impossible by making me hate Steve Carell. It flew a bit under the radar, but it’s a wonderful ‘family’ movie.

8. The Heat

-laugh out loud raucously funny, a bit vulgar, with female characters in the most brilliant light. I remember sneaking into a showing of this with my friends (in between sneaking into a different movie) and just not leaving til the movie was over, cause it was so funny.

7. Prisoners

-I’m not one for scary or suspenseful movies, and this one had me on the edge of my seat and my heart beating fast. Intense, exhilarating performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal that really has me thinking to what degree one might go to save someone they love. I really liked the plot twists, and one of the suspects gives such a convincingly creepy vibe it gave me heebie-jeebies.

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

-guys, I’m a LOTR (movie) fangirl, and any movie that gives me a taste of Middle Earth has my complete gratitude. I adore the world that Peter Jackson has brought to life, and this installment was equally fun, action-packed, elf-packed (eff yes, Tauriel and Legolas), with magnificent Smaug-CGI and gosh, do I adore Thorin and Bilbo. I’m hugely biased since the LOTR movies are my favourite of all time, but honestly I just walked out of the theatre feeling entertained and that I got my full money’s worth.

5. Frozen

-OMG you guys! This movie! I didn’t expect to adore it as much as I did, and I bet I sound like every other Tumblr blog out there, but I just loved the fact that it was about sisters saving each other. I adored both Elsa and Anna, along with Sven, Olaf, and Kristoff.. basically everyone. It was funny, heartwarming, and full of great songs (I have “Let it Go” on repeat right now). It’s a Disney movie so it’s understandably joyful and fluffy (but if I had my way, I’d love to have made it full of heartbreak, sacrifice, and darkness).

4. Iron Man 3

-I love Iron Man. I love RDJ’s portrayal of him, I love the witty quips, the action scenes, the plot twists, even the ridiculous amount of flying suits (okay, scratch that last part). Everything just works for me, and I don’t care about you rolling your eyes at my mainstream favourites. Are you not entertained?! I really was.

3. Catching Fire

-*breathes into a paper bag* I saw this at the midnight showing in IMAX and I just remember it blowing all my expectations out of the water, making the first movie seem like utter crap with its brilliance, and making me remember just why Jennifer Lawrence is like a perfect human being. It made me cry a few times (this is a good thing) and I forgot just enough of the book to be caught off guard by the timing of events, which just made it better in my mind. I didn’t have the book fresh in my memory so I could enjoy the movie for what it was- and I thought it had great character development, cool arena action scenes, excellent pacing, and stayed faithful to the book, setting up a third movie that I’m personally very eager to see.

2. Star Trek: Into Darkness

-I was so, so close to making this my top movie of the year. Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto… who says I’m not superficial…but seriously, there is some seriously eye-catching *cough* upsides to this movie… performance-wise, of course. But my shallowness aside, I just really loved this because I was just so gosh-darn satisfied when I was watching it. All the twists and turns, the fight scenes, the Spock-Kirk interactions, the spaceship scenes… it just made me happy as I was watching because I was enjoying everything about the movie so much. I’m just like, vigorously making hand motions trying to convey just how elated I felt when watching, and I don’t really know why. I think it was just exactly what I wanted.

1. Before Midnight

-Okay, after some serous debate.. I made this number one. Because I wanted to bring attention to this trilogy (I’m going to mention the other two below, in my non-2013 list) because I love it so, so much. It’s just so full of life, feelings, love, authenticity, and surreally realistic dialogue. This entire series is just two characters that talk about life—but not in like pretentious philosophical terms, it’s just them carrying a conversation—and it just completely works, on every level. It just feels so intimate and this last one especially was tough to watch at times, but these two characters are really something special, and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy completely embody them. It’s a quiet drama and a brilliant movie, and I dearly hope in 9 years, they'll make another one.

Honourable Mentions (2013 movies):

(in no particular order)

Don Jon

-an interesting view on relationships, but just didn’t exactly hit the notes exactly right for me

The Book Thief

-HANS HUBERMANN AND RUDY STEINER give me my tears back

The Place Beyond the Pines

-Intense, three-act type of plot that was completely unexpected for me, but nevertheless engrossing and with top-notch performances

Mud

-I adored this story, and with a great performance from Matthew McConaughey, it’s a touching story from a boy’s point of view about romance. But that’s not it, there’s so many other themes in there and I think it deserves a rewatch.

This is the End

-I laughed a lot, which is always a bonus. The plot kind of went awry for me when they had to get serious about actually having a plot, but hey, there’s a lot of funny moments

Rush

-I knew almost nothing about this movie going in, but from the first moment of the hyper-intensified roar of the engines, I was caught up in this great rivalry between these two competitive, polar-opposite men and Daniel Bruhl’s performance is especially praise-worthy. Really, this was one of the unexpected gems of the year, and definitely give it a try even if it doesn’t seem like your thing.

Pacific Rim

-I don’t care what you say, I found this hugely enjoyable, and if I liked watching giant robots fighting each other for two hours, I’ll consider that time well spent. Kudos to the ending and how kick-ass Mako Mori was.. and the soundtrack rocked.

The World’s End

-the winning combination of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright just makes me smile—it’s cleverly funny, action-packed, full of plot twists and some unexpected introspectiveness and thought into our life trajectories. It wasn’t exactly as amazing as I hoped it was going to be, I think Hot Fuzz will still remain my favourite of the “Cornetto Trilogy”

WORST MOVIES WATCHED IN 2013

Grease (1978)

-gahhhh I couldn't stand this

Rent (2005)

-ughhh, annoying

The Bling Ring (2013)

-didn’t realize I could hate these characters and Emma Watson’s character’s stupid accent so much

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)

-you just ruined one of my favourite movie series (the first Die Hard is still one of my top movies ever) and I will never forgive you. In fact, I actually kind of hate Bruce Willis for allowing this cash cow to continue and insulting viewers with such utter BS. This was such a crap movie and such a huge disservice to the character of John McClane. /rant

TOP 9 MOVIES NOT RELEASED IN 2013

9. Seven Psychopaths (2012)

-great dialogue and a plot that surprised me, plus it was overall pretty funny.

8. The Breakfast Club (1985)

-I went on a John Hughes binge this summer, and this one remains my favourite—I see why they call it a classic.

7. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

-There was also a Quentin Tarantino binge at the beginning of the year, and I loved this movie and its take on WWII… or maybe I just thought Christoph Waltz’s performance was off the charts.

6. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

-my brother just hates Robert Downey Jr. but I don’t… and this movie is just fabulous. Val Kilmer’s performance as Gay Perry had me laughing out loud, as did some of the crazy moments that happen (“Who taught you math?!”). I loved the look and feel of the movie with the cinematography and the music, and sheesh, did I love the dialogue.

5. Forrest Gump (1994)

-It took me forever to finally get around to watching this movie, and it was fantastic. Apart from Jenny being a total bitch.

4. Lost in Translation (2003)

-Ughhh you guys, I love this movie so hard. It’s one of those things that you feel as if you watched at the exact perfect time, with the right mindset and age so that it really speaks to you (such as reading Ender’s Game when you’re 12, or reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower when you’re 15). I thought this weird relationship between the two characters and their various adventures with each other while trying to navigate their own lives was so enchanting. The movie managed to create a quiet, intimate mood within such a short time span, and I loved it.

3. Before Sunrise (1995) &

2. Before Sunset (2004)

-These two are going together, Before Sunrise is the first installment, Before Sunset is the second (and Before Midnight is the third). Each movie is filmed like, nine years apart, and each is like a snapshot of these two characters (Celine from France and American-born Jesse) at a specific time in their lives, on a specific day. In Before Sunrise, they’re meeting for the first time as university-aged students, and they just spend one night talking and walking around the city, and it feels so real. Each personality really shines through and these characters just feel like actual people with doubts, insecurities, and beliefs. It’s a bit similar to the premise of Just One Day by Gayle Forman, and I know this sounds scandalous, but I liked this movie version much better. The second movie, Before Sunset, takes place 9 years later where these two have moved on and have their own lives in different countries, but unexpectedly meet up and again, just walk and talk and really, I can’t explain how freaking good it is. They’re different people, they’ve got different life experiences, but as they collide again it’s just sparks and unmatched chemistry.

1. Once (2006)

-This movie!! Ahh, it is soooo freaking good. My friend watched it and thought it was boring, but gosh, I just loved everything about it. The quiet-ness, the music, the tentative friendship, the awkwardness, the beauty that is these two characters. These characters just came to life and jumped off the screen and into my heart.

MOVIES I WANT TO WATCH BUT HAVEN'T:

Dallas Buyer’s Club
American Hustle
Inside Llewyn Davis
Gravity (I know!)
The Wolf of Wall Street

Yes, I will get around to watching those five movies! I love this season when all the Oscar contenders are playing, as opposed to the meh-movies you usually get at the beginning of the year. Anyway, if you read/skimmed through this entire list, good job! If you haven't, I totally don't blame you, I realize how exhaustingly long it is.. I just had a lot to say.

I'd LOVE to know what YOUR favourite movie of the year was-- whether it was one that was released this year, or just one you watched. Did I miss something? Are you going to watch the "Before" trilogy now? I'm always looking out for new recommendations (as long as it's not horror!) so please leave your comments below. And of course, you can always tweet me to talk about movies, I have a lot of free time.

Thanks to everyone for reading my blog this year, and have a wonderful and safe New Year!

-Audrey

12.30.2013

Favourites of 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 20:33:00 +0000

I can't believe 2013 is over! Where the heck did it go?? I don't want to reveal how many books I actually read this year *hides* but I'm sure if you click around on the blog you can find the list... but still, I wanted to make a best-of list. It's similar in topics to the one from last year, and includes a mix of things (from 2011 and 2012) from around the blogosphere, from year-end events hosted by the lovely Nomes at Inkcrush, and the popular 2012 survey hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner.

BOOKS

1. favourite book read in 2013!!!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I had only rated this a 9/10, but it's stuck out as the one that gave me such intense feels. I read a lot of more action-y or world-building books (by choice) this year to escape from studying, but this one felt so intimate and beautifully written.

2. book you were excited about but didn't live up to your expectations

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. I really adore her writing and her wildly imaginative Wither series, but this new book was just unmemorable across the board.

3. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read

ache-y:
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
there's just something about Sutter that prods at my heart... (read my review)

heart-breaking:
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
after so much, so so much, Rowell chose to end the book that way... oh how my heart hurts

tearjerker:

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I read this because I wanted a good cry, and I was not disappointed

4. delicious, rainy day comfort read

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
Last year, my pick for this category was For Darkness Shows the Stars (by Diana Peterfreund). I dunno, this author just has the magical ability to write books that sweep my off my feet right when I need it most. Love love loved it.

5. adrenalin-filled, unputdownable read

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, because that is some killer action in that third act.

6. the beautiful prose award

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The words are delectable.

7. most atmospheric and vivid setting

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I was debating putting this book as "best book of 2013" because it's kind of the whole-package. This was an easy choice for this category though, I mean, any book that can make me use a big chunk of my spare time thinking about the currency of the world deserves to win. The world created by Rothfuss is crazy imaginative, thoughtful, and ridiculously engaging.

8. best under-appreciated, hidden-gem book

Vortex by S.J. Kincaid
Guys, I LOVE this series. I consistently call it "fast-paced escapism fun" and it's kind of like Harry Potter with a technology twist. It's so good!

9. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love-this-so award

Champion by Marie Lu

It's funny, because I didn't really remember much from book 2 so I was a bit reluctant to try this one... but guys, I needed a whole day to recover. It was such a stunning conclusion, and a billion kudos to Marie Lu-- I was thinking about this for days.

10. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
It's not super well known in the YA world (to my knowledge) but damn, I see what the big deal is now.

11. an unfinished series that i'm loving

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Same as last year! I just finished Cress.. it was fantastic. Marissa Meyer, you are incredible.

Honourable Mention: Insignia by SJ Kincaid (Can't wait for book 3, Catalyst!) The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss definitely deserves a mention, and of course, the Dustlands trilogy by Moira Young.

12. can't believe i waited so long to read this

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Spurred by the movie trailer, I read this one (finally) and loved it. Read this while you're young is my advice. But it kind of ruined the movie for me.. (books are always better)

13. book that lived up to (or superseded) the hype

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I didn't think it would be as good as people said it would be. I've never been more wrong in all my life. (quoting Thorin from The Hobbit movie)

14. want to re-read already

Cress by Marissa Meyer
Okay, so this gets released next year but guys it is SO GOOD, I adored it so much. Please start reading this series if you haven't already.

MOMENTS

1. best plot-twist (no spoilers!)

More Than This by Patrick Ness

This ENTIRE book. I never knew where it was going, apart from vaguely towards the town of "holy shit what is happening" whilst passing through "Patrick Ness is such a genius".

Honourable Mention: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson-- pretty cool twist ending you got there, kid.

2. best swoon-worthy moment

"Hi," he says. "I'm Daniel."
"Hi," I reply. "I'm June."

-Champion by Marie Lu
I just remember letting out a little happy sigh. I think you've heard me rave enough about this book, yeah.

3. best cliffhanger

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Okay, again, unfair because this is released in 2014, but stillllllllll.

4. best ending for a stand-alone

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Far, far, far from the happily ever after... so of course I liked it. (If you're curious about my thoughts on the movie, you can click here).

5. best ending for a series

Champion by Marie Lu (The Legend trilogy) because ahhhhhh if you haven't figured it out, I just loved it so darned much. And once again, I feel the need to sing Marie Lu some praises because it was a brave ending, but the perfect one that I didn't know I wanted.
It should be noted, though, I didn't finish that many series this year...

CHARACTERS

1. most memorable female character

Persis Blake - Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
I HAVE A HUGE GIRL-CRUSH ON YOU.

2. most memorable male character

Kvothe - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (also, The Wise Man's Fear)
This one goes out to the over-confident, clever, adventurous character who gets into too much trouble and understands that to tell a story correctly, you have a lie a little.

3. favourite friendship

Cath and Reagan - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

They were pretty awesome, weren't they?

4. favourite relationship

Day and June - Champion by Marie Lu
These two are just perfect. gah.

Honourable Mention: Persis and Justen from Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund, as well as Scarlet and Wolf from Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (tortured love interests ftw)

5. new literary crush

Second year in a row where nobody fills this role...

6. favourite sibling relationship

none! what? why! :(

7. best villain

The Chandrian - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Honestly, just cause they make this series possible and my life would be worse without this series in my life.

OTHER

1. favourite cover (of a book i read)

I adore the colour scheme and the illustration, it's so eye-catching! Rainbow Rowell definitely has had some excellent luck with her covers.

Honourable mentions include Champion by Marie Lu, More Than This by Patrick ness, and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.

2. book you're looking forward to the most in 2014

This year's list: The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, Raging Star by Moira Young, Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid, The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey.

And to Markus Zusak, WHEN DOES THE BRIDGE OF CLAY COME OUT?!?!??!??!! (just kidding, take your time)

Last year's list (strike-outs means I read them): Just One Day by Gayle Forman, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, More Than This by Patrick Ness, The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness, The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley, ~~Perfect Scoundrels~~ ~~by Ally Carter~~, and Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan.

**

And that's it! A long list, a slightly repetitive one, but I tried to spread out my choices and not give all the awards to a select few. I'll be really excited if you choose to read a book based on this post :-)

Once again, a huge thank you to all of you who have stuck around the blog for this year, I really appreciate it and your comments brighten up my day. I hope you have read wonderful, wonderful books and explored fantasy lands and fell in love with characters like I did, there's so many beautiful books out there waiting for us readers. Please let me know what your favourite read was this year in the comments below, I'd LOVE to know!!

Have a fabulous new year, and I love you all! xx

-Audrey

12.29.2014

BR: Champion

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 16:53:00 +0000

by Marie Lu
Legend trilogy; book III

Wow, I finished a series! I originally wasn’t going to write a review for this, but then I realized that I wrote a review for both books one and two, and I thought it’d be a nice little “set” if I actually wrote something for this third book too. It’s not every day that I finish a series*.

Summary (goodreads)

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has.

**

Initially, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to read this third book. To be quite honest, I didn’t really remember what happened in Prodigy (interestingly, when I was going to start Prodigy, I had completely forgotten Legend), but when I saw the fanfare around its release, I reached for Prodigy on my bookshelf and read the last few chapters. And then I got that swooshing feeling in my stomach and thought “Oh. I really have to find out what happens.”

My Thoughts

Boy, I was not ready for this ending. I’ll admit, I needed a full day to recover.

Oh Audrey, jumping so far forward already? Okay, let’s rewind a bit. This book has everything I have come to expect of the series-- fast paced action, fantastic pacing, emotion, great characters, even better character development, awesome world-building, and witty one-liners. In this sense, it definitely didn't disappoint. But that said, Champion wasn’t perfect, in fact, I still ended up with quite a few nitpicks about various things—the plot isn’t super-memorable, the prose could feel clunky and forced at times, and there were some action scenes that felt a bit messy. Sometimes the writing style felt a bit amateur-ish, where there is an overabundance of knife metaphors and emotional descriptions toeing the edge of cheesy. And for some books, that would stop be in my tracks and I wouldn’t be able to notice anything else, but that wasn’t the case.

Once again, Marie Lu saves her book with enthralling, intensely admirable leading characters. They alone allowed me to overlook the other flaws in the book, because I was so caught up in their storylines.

I liked how the characters felt older. I liked how I could recognize their growth and development throughout the series. They’re not kids anymore. They are, but they aren’t.

I really liked the tension, the emotion, and the relationship between our two main characters.

I loved Day. I loved June.

That's what it comes down to, right? These characters we cheer for as we watch them evolve and grow. These characters who come into their own. These characters who jump right into our hearts from the very first page of Legend, and won't leave it at the end of Champion. There's so many reasons why I started this series, but these characters made me stay.

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: this series is definitely appealing to fans of the blockbuster dystopian series.
Acknowledgements: 4/5, lovely!

8.8/10. Because I love the characters. And the last 35 pages. Those pages were exactly what I didn't know I wanted. That's how you end a series. Beautiful, bittersweet, but ultimately fitting. And that ending has stuck with me for a long time.

And my favourite quote**:

Day just smiles at me, an expression so sad that it breaks through my numbness, and I begin to cry. Those bright blue eyes. Before me is the boy who has bandaged my wounds on the streets of Lake, who has guarded his family with every bone in his body, who has stayed by my side in spite of everything, the boy of light and laughter and life, of grief and fury and passion, the boy whose fate is intertwined with mine, forever and always.

"I love you," he whispers. "Can you stay awhile?”

*I am actually immensely adept at not finishing series.
**because run-on sentences are my weakness (no, seriously). Also it reminds me so much of Jellicoe Road.

source: bought
author website / twitter / tumblr
my review of Legend (book 1) and Prodigy (book 2)

BR: More Than This

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey (holes In My brain)) — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:27:00 +0000

by Patrick Ness

Usually there'd be a bit more fanfare from me surrounding Patrick Ness' newest book, but it's been a while and I'm just dusting off this blog.

I finished this book a few weeks ago, and I typed out this review on my phone... yes, on my phone, and then I posted it onto Goodreads. And now it's on my blog. Such a delay obviously indicates my laziness, I think.

Summary (goodreads)

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this...
**

My Thoughts

I'm currently sitting in bed having finally turned that last page I didn't want to turn.

Firstly, no spoilers. And if you haven't read the book, I suggest you to not read anything about it and go into it blind-- it's best that way.

So... More Than This. It's good. It's not perfect, there's a few bumps, and I think it warrants a second reading because I need a bit more time to make sense of it. I'll admit that I sometimes felt like I was missing a piece, like there was this punch line I wasn't getting. And it's weird to say that because I wasn't reading this book inattentively, I just think my brain is still catching up with the questions posed by the book.

This book has such a fantastic premise, it chugs along full of mystery and suspense, and it's one of this books where you keep reading even though you're 150 pages in and haven't really encountered a single other character. But you KNOW there's something stirring below the surface, and you KNOW as things start bubbling up, it's going to be worth it. And it definitely is.

The secondary characters are beautifully drawn, diverse, and compelling. They were crafted incredibly well and more than once tugged at my heart strings. Seth was fascinating in his own way, he has this past that I was desperate to find out more, and as Ness teased his fate, I could feel my skin tingling. As his backstory unfolded...damn.

There's a lot of questions raised about life and existence, which was one aspect I really loved. The plot was twisty for sure, and it makes you question a lot of what you know.

But the book isn't perfect. I had some issues with the pacing and The Driver (who I think deserves some philosophical thought or whatever, because I want to believe he's more than a faceless thing but I can't quite grasp the analogy yet...I'm not very smart). The writing though, is top-notch, I wouldn't expect anything less. It felt like a bit of the immediacy seeped through from the Chaos Walking trilogy, but it's nevertheless powerful.

I had this thought though, as I was reading. I kept thinking "this is a book that could save someone", it's subtle but it's hopeful, it doesn't shy away from terrible things, but it also presents life as more than what we make of it, more than what we are blinded by in the present. I'm not sure if I'm having a crazy thought, did those of you who read it think the same thing? It's thought-provoking and satisfying, unique, mysterious, and has an ending leaving me wanting just a little bit more.

8.5/10

Rating in HP Terms: Exceeds Expectations
Recommended for: I dunno, all of you? ;)
Acknowledgements: none (tsk tsk)

source: library
author twitter / website