Dewey's 24 hours readathon (bouquinerie, and a bit of NaNoWriMo) with video

This weekend was the Dewey's 24 hours readathon. During the readathon I planned to read a lot of books. Of course I didn't manage to read that much.
The readathon normally takes place between 8am est on Saturday to 8am est of Sunday. However, that makes it 9pm in Japan. So that mean I should have been reading all Sunday.
The thing is, this Sunday was the 4th of the month, which means that it's Bouquinerie Sunday and I really wanted to go since I haven't been since June.
Then there was also my Sunday Write-in which ended up being a NaNo prep write-in... (more about that in the next video). So I didn't quite read as much as expected.
On a good day, (not during a readathon) I can still manage to read this much.

 Here is the video

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Book Review: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (with video)

It has been a while since my last video and even longer since my last book review. Today I have for you a review of "Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman. 

I have a mix feeling about this book. It can be some times intense, sometimes boring. It can be hard to follow at time because of the choice of POV and the crazy going time line but it doesn't fail to be interesting. It was a sort of difficult read, the type of book you really have to concentrate on to know where you are at.

Here is the video

 

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Book Review: A Song of Smoke and Fire by Megan Linski (with video)

Today I'm reviewing "A Song of Smoke and Fire" by Megan Linski.

This is the first book of her new series "Song of Dragonfire".

I got it as an ARC before the release but only got into reading it now.

It's a really nice story, though predictable. It has a lot of real element like the setting in Kraków, Poland.

You can see more about the setting and Kraków here on my blog post: Europe tour Interail 2006 : Kraków and the dragon hunting

So it takes roots in Polish folklore and at the same time it has other fantasy and fairy tales ingredient.

The predictable part for me was the love story though there are some twists to get there and the journey time of thing.

It was an entertaining read.

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Book Review: Torture (Angels & Demons Book 2) by Megan Linski (with video)

Today, I'm reviewing and ARC copy of Torture by Megan Linski.

Torture is the second book in the Angels and Demons series.

I was a bit apprehensive about reading it because I actually didn't quite like the first book as much as I wanted in a very unexpected way.

I enjoyed the first 60% of Torrent, which is the first book, and then I got totally annoyed with a lot of crappy unrealistic details.

Fortunately, Torture is way better than Torrent in a lot of ways going from the main character building, to the characters interaction.

The plot was also better define, especially with the interaction with the antagonist. After "A stranger in the house" this was really an awesome read. 

This video may contains spoilers of Torture and Torrent. 

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Book Review: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (with video) #Spookathon

I finished to read Doctor Sleep last night. I thought I would be scared but there was nothing scary about this book. It was good just not as mind blowing as expected.
Still, I have a few issues.First with who Dan actually is and if it's not a bit out of character for him to be an alcoholic in the first place.
Then I found myself having empathy for the bad guys and sort of not completely understanding why the "good" characters didn't have much. I mean I can't understand why at least one of the characters couldn't show of some empathy for the bad guys.
Then I have a bit of problem with the mass murder, probably as a result of having empathy for the bad guys.
I also have problems with Momo's death, I mean I went to analyse, Danny taking the cancer from her as being the same as how John Coffey takes the illness from other people in The Green Mile and use it later. There is the same sort of process, Dan, just like John is sick while transporting the cancer but Momo dies while the woman in The Green Mile survives which I feel is a bit unfair.
Then there is the problem of the true knot. In a way it feels like the book want to make us believe that they were created in the  boiler's explosion which would be why they need "steam" but in an other way some of the member are really old, like century old so they would have to have existed before the incident in The Shinning. Or maybe it's just the place where the hotel used to stand that is attracting people. I'm not sure but I feel like the origin of the True Knot wasn't really explain and in the same way, they apparently used to be 200 and then now they are 41 but we are also told that the death are super rare for them so, where did the 160 others disappeared. I mean is there a third book fighting them coming up in 30 years?
Are the one who left Rose the Hat really all going to die of the measles?
So many questions partially answered only. And it feels to me a bit inconsistent. 

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The Truth about Alice by Jennifer Mathieu (Book Review) (with video)

Today, I'm reviewing The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu.
I wanted to read this book for quite some time but I was a bit afraid to actually know the Truth about Alice.
Alice Franklin is actually one of the only main character in the book who doesn't have her POV. She is talked about but never does anyone actually ask her what happened and the only time she voices it, her best friend doesn't believe her.
Her story is told through the eyes of multiple unreliable narrator who all have their own reason to propagate rumors about her. It's kind of disturbing to actually see everything unfold and to learn the truth because those characters are sort of directly talking to the reader.
I was afraid to read this book because I thought something really drastic would happen and actually, nothing drastic happens which makes it even more realistic.

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Book Review: Origin by Dan Brown (with video)

The last Dan Brown book came out of October 3rd and of course I had to get it and read it immediately.
I'm a bit on the fence about this book I have to admit. There are a lot of thing that I like about it but as a part of the Robert Langdon series, it falls a bit short from the previous books.
I wanted the thrill of looking for the clue and decoding all the symbolism but it wasn't there. Instead, this book takes you through a race against the clock let by a computer. I think you can say that Origin stand for the Origine of life but also for Dan Brown going back to his original theme of writing about computer and science fiction.
I wasn't prepared for that.
The thing is if it isn't a Robert Langdon book, it's still a good book, though it was a bit predictable.
The threat to religion this time is science, or more accurately the grudge of an atheist using science to kill the religious idea of genesis. I mean there are already a lot of Christian who believe in Evolution as a fact without turning down the rest of their religion. The idea that knowing for sure what the start of live was would kill religion as a whole is a bit presumptuous but it still might do it for some people. The thing with this book is that it also uses the fear of technological progress. Just like previous Dan Brown book. The computer are going to be starter than you and they are going to want to kill you, which sort of annoys me a little because it's just so easy. It would have been so much more interesting to have a real antagonist that you wouldn't get rid of by just unplugging it. In this book the human reaction to the news of the origin of life is totally tuned down which is a bit of a shame. 

 

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Book review + Comparison with Persuasion by Jane Austen)

Today, I'm reviewing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think it was a good read. It was definitely an unexpected read.
There are several things through the book that keeps you on your toes, especially because the narrator is sort of biased in many cases.
We see the love story form in the present and in the past. In a way, Gatsby wanted to rewrite the past but all he managed to do was relive it and it didn't end well which was really sad. I sort of feel sorry for the guy really but this book also show the danger of building your entire life around another person.
I compare this book and especially the heroine behavior with the heroine from Jane Austen's persuasion. I think the book have a lot in common in the way the story is build even if Anne and Daisy behave in a complete opposite manner while facing the same problems. 

Here is the video

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Norwegian Wood by Murakami (Book review)

This book was so depressing. It took me forever to read it. I started when I finished "Kafka on the Shore". It was sort of hard to read because basically, nothing happens. It's like we follow this guy going to his daily student life. He is so amorph about everything that's happening around him that there is no exciting point. When he meets new people or do something there is never any excitement.
Basically, I didn't care about any of the characters. I think it's one of the rare books when I was happy to see a character finally disappear.
I mean there was no other point in Naoko's life than to die. Really.
I understand depressed and overly depressed but I don't understand her take on reality.
It seems like the entire purpose of the book was to show two different type of depression and two different type of way of going through life after the suicide of a loved one. On one side, we have Naoko who just can't get out of her own head. And on the other side, we have Toru who is nowhere near his until everything collapse. So I don't understand how she didn't care and I don't understand how he actually didn't.
I know that people love this book so I don't know why I was so bored reading it. Even the Storm Trooper, I didn't think that was funny.
I guess I came to this book after "Kafka on the shore" expecting it to be as mind blowing. Well, my mind wasn't blown.
And still, I think it's a good book. I think there are a lot of little things and construction in this book that makes it interesting. This book is really really weird.
Seriously, if you want to start on reading Murakami, don't make this your first book because you might never pick up another one and that would be a shame. 

 

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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Buddy Read Review)

Today I'm reviewing The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

This review is part of a Buddy Read project so Rishika and I were both reading the same book and will have our videos review up at the same time.

 I really like this book and this is actually my third read. I think it has a lot of value as a novel so if you want to read it just as a story. But also has a philosophical reflection on life. It gives a lot of insight and core values about a lot of important things. At the same time it's entertaining and funny.

Here is the video

Check out Rishika's video.

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