Mini Reviews-- Part one

Hey guys! As usual... I have been reading, but not doing a great job at keeping track of those books here.

But guys!!! I have SO MANY books for you to read!!! I know, I know, I say that a lot (whether it happens more because the book is wonderful, or because the book is terrible is another story) but there are all really awesome books. I have had a streak of AWESOME luck recently in the books department, so I wanted to share some of my finds.

I may end up writing a longer review for some of these, but I wanted to get them out there, in case anyone is looking for a good book. Enjoy!!

What if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions - Randall Munroe

Randall Munroe is the creator of http://www.xkcd.com/. I had personally never heard of it before I saw this book, but have taken a look at it since, and have enjoyed what I have seen.

I don't have a lot to say about this book, because the title pretty aptly describes it all. On Munroe's website, people ask him strange and obscure questions. He, in turn, answers those questions using a mixture of math and science. It sounds like it could be bland, right? That is what I thought, at least. But man! This book is so entertaining! The questions really are absurd, such as "What if you hit a baseball thrown at 90% the speed of light?" Or, "What would happen if you gathered together a mole (unit of measurement) of moles (small, furry critters)?" Or even "What would happen if you gathered everyone together in one place and they all jumped at the same time?"

I am not going to claim to understand every term and idea Munroe presents, but I can say that I was entertained while listening to this book (though, it would be nice to read it, because Munroe does stick figure illustrations).

This book is worth the read, and will DEFINITELY give you something interesting to talk about over dinner. :)


The Magician's Lie - Greer Macallister

This book is one I got for a Daily Deal on Audible. I have to be 100% honest, I mostly was interested because one of the "blurbs" about the book mentioned Night Circus, which is one of my favorite books of all time.

I wouldn't say that this book ended up being like Night Circus, but I did enjoy it a lot. I don't want to give away too much on this one, because it is a book where you figure out what is going on along with the characters, and I think that was part of the charm. I did enjoy learning how some magical illusions worked, and this book made me want to see a magic show. I did NOT love one of the narrators. I disliked the woman's voice, since she made every male character sound identical. Anyway, it is a small complaint, since the book really was intriguing.

Uprooted - Naomi Novik

This book was a little strange, to be honest. It was loosely based on several fairy tales, and I had such high hopes for it! The blurb mentions that every ten years, a girl (around 11) is taken from the village and lives with the nearby wizard, "The Dragon," for ten years. After that, she comes home and leaves town shortly after. It is the same each time a girl is taken. They say the Dragon never touches them, but they come home with newfound extravagance and leave.

First, do NOT be fooled by the magician's title. the Dragon is not literally a dragon. He is a cranky old magician who is angry all the time and likes things tidy. Second, we never really learn about whether this book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling or not. There are more important things at hand.

So those were a couple grievances, but there was a lot to love about this book. First, the story kept me guessing. I couldn't ever figure out what was going to happen, and the things that did happen were often surprising. Second, I kind of liked the creepiness of this book. You all know that I love fairy tale magic and the like, but this magic in this books was CREEPY! The forest is, like, possessing people. It was just really interesting and soooo unexpected! So if you want a not-too-traditional fairy tale, with a bit of spooky factor, this is your book!

Oh--as a side note, the main character's name is a mouthful. Her name is "Agnieszka." If you gave up halfway through that, you experienced the same frustration that I did. The author does tell you how to pronounce it (ag-NYESH-kah) but that is at the END of the book, so not totally helpful. I figure I would try to help you out early. :)

Wool - Hugh Howey

I had heard good things about this book, and I finally bought this (also on Audible) to listen to during work. First of all... wow. This was completely unexpected! It was another book that I thought I had the plot down right from the beginning, but... man. This thing had so many twists and turns, I was dizzy!

Word to the wise: buy the Wool Omnibus. My copy happened to be that (by accident). Apparently, the book was originally supposed to be released as a trilogy, but people loved the story so much that instead of releasing three books, Hugh Howey ended up releasing the story as five books, so people could get them faster.

Wool is a dystopian adventure, and it takes place in a silo. Yes, like the silos where you store wheat. But this silo has been upgraded slightly. Apparently, when the world as we know it ended, people fled to these silos to wait a time when the air would be breathable again. As far as people know in this particular silo (It might be Silo 12? 13? I can't remember exactly), they are the last human beings on earth. These silos go about 100 floors underneath the ground, and life goes on there much as you would expect. Eventually people get a little stir crazy. However, the BIG rule of the silo is this: Don't ask to go outside. If you do, you get what you ask for.

Yes, that's right. If you ask to go outside, they let you... *ominous music.* It was a great book, and I loved the surprising twists and turns! I did gain a new worst fear, but we can talk about that later, if you decide to read this. Loved it!

The Paper Magician - Charlie M. Holmberg

This book.... sigh. I had SUCH high hopes for this, and the idea is fantastic!! The basic idea is that there is a school for those who are magically inclined (No, not Hogwarts). However, the students don't actually learn magic AT the school. Instead, when they finish their studies, they are apprenticed out to a particular type of magician, and are then "bonded" to that material, meaning that during their apprenticeship and forever beyond, they learn how to work with one material. Most of the materials are man-made: glass, paper, metal, plastic, rubber, etc.

The main character is Ceony Twill. She has her heart set on becoming a Smelter, a metal magician. However, due to a shortage of magicians, she is instead assigned to become a paper magician with Magician Emery Thane (thus, the title "The Paper Magician").

Guys... paper magic is AWESOME!! She can animate origami shapes, make a paper fan that blows hurricane-force winds, make snowflakes that are actually cold, and you know those paper fortune tellers you used to make as kids (Pick a color, pick a number, pick another number, here is your fortune)? Yeah, well, being a paper magician, you can ACTUALLY tell fortunes! It is really awesome!

The main thing about this book was that it was really slow moving. It is a trilogy, and it probably shouldn't be. Not much happens in the books, and the author gets caught up in other memories to spend too much time learning about the awesomeness of the spells. But I did like the book, and I want to learn some of the kinds of magic now.

I am Malala - Malala Yousafzai

This is a book we got for my dad on audio book, then borrowed shortly after. It is a true story of Malala (duh) who is a young girl who lived in Pakistan and stood up for education, and was shot by the Taliban (as you can see on this lovely cover picture I have provided). Fun fact: it says on the cover that she won he Nobel Peace Prize, but from what I recall, she is actually the youngest winner of the prize ever.

This book was so INTERESTING! It was cool to see a different culture. I mean, I am born and raised in America, so it was different to see how education is viewed in a different area. It was interesting to consider the Taliban and why, originally, the people loved the Taliban.

Since Malala wrote this book, I don't think it would be too much of a spoiler to let you know that she survives the attack, and she and her family are rushed out of the country to give hr the best health care possible. Malala is still a huge education advocate, and gives many speeches and attends conferences worldwide to try and open education for everyone.

It was a great read, and really, Malala's childhood and family life really obviously shaped her. I am excited to hear more about her in the future, and am positive she will do great things.

If you are looking to get out of the realm of fiction for a while, this is an awesome option!

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

This is one that I am hoping to write a larger review of later. I LOVED this book. The story gets started right away, so I can give you a bit of plot, because some of it is revealed in the first chapter.

This book is set in a futuristic earth--a very CRAPPY futuristic earth. There is an energy crisis, the world is a horrible place to live, and everyone has found refuge inside this virtual reality game--The Oasis. The Oasis is... Well, think of the Sims games, but on steroids. People live vicariously inside the Oasis. They go to school there, they work there, they even meet and marry there, all without leaving the comforts of their own computer screen. Then, there are the options for the more adventurous types--you can be a wizard, a warrior, a spy... you can be whatever you want to be and do whatever you want to do inside the Oasis. It is a massive multiplayer universe with worlds like earth, worlds like star wars and star trek... Really. I am not exaggerating when I say that you can be and do ANYTHING in there.

The Oasis was created by one man, James Halliday. Halliday was a hermit, and never socialized outside of this world he had created. Then, on the day he dies, there is a mass video sent out to everyone in the world--streamed to everyone with an Oasis account (basically everyone) as well as all over the news. In this video, Halliday reveals how his fortune will be bestowed. He has  created several Easter eggs inside the Oasis--three keys, and three gates. Whoever finds the three keys and unlocks the three gates first will inherit EVERYTHING James Halliday had (So... like over $250 billion, His company, and control of the Oasis. Winning the competition would essentially make the winner the richest person in the world). In this video, he gives the world the first clue (usually in the form of a Limerick. I tried to solve the puzzles in this book and failed miserably). And... that's it. The world goes crazy and everyone starts the search.

Until... well, nothing. For five years, the world searches in vain for the first key. There is a scoreboard on Halliday's main Oasis page. That scoreboard remains blank until one day, five years later, a name appears. And that, my friends, is all just in the first chapter. This book is fun! It is fast paced, and has a great mix of humor and intensity. There is a very HEAVY dose of all things eighties, because James Halliday was obsessed with the eighties.

This is one of my top books of the year, and I do not say that lightly. I shoved this into Jeremy's hands as soon as I was finished, and now I want to read it again! Plus, I loved when I was able to understand the nerdy references.

Please read this book, it is seriously amazing, and so much fun!

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan

 So... I read this one a really long time ago, and I am afraid that I don't remember a lot of the details; I remember Steph saying she read it, so I may have to leave a review of this one in her capable hands. :)  However, not remembering much of this book doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it! I do remember a few very important things.

First, the cover is glow-in-the-dark. What is not to love about a glow-in-the-dark cover?!? I had this one on my bedside table, and squealed with joy when I found out.

The writing is awesome! This book feels so conversational, and it made me feel smart. Plus, there were times that I snickered aloud. Then felt silly, because even if I could read the segment to Jeremy, he had no idea what was going on in the story, and so it was not nearly as funny to him.

This is about books. I mean, not just the 24-hour bookstore mentioned in the title, but it is all about books and learning from books and trying to seek the **ULTIMATE ANSWER** ( This is important, which is why I made that very fancy. I thought that the ultimate answer was 42, according to Douglas Adams, but apparently these people are not satisfied with that). This book is so interesting!

Also, I loved Mr. Penumbra. He was just the perfect, quirky old man. In fact, if I remember correctly, basically all of the main characters were awesome.

So... yeah. Not super helpful when it comes to a review, but I lent this one out as soon as I finished it, and haven't been able to take a look at it again, since.

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 So there you have it, guys! Some mini reviews for you to peruse, and I hopefully chose enough variety that there is something for everyone. Let me know what you think, and I can't wait to hear what you are reading!!

The Midwife

After a terrible week last week, I finally have some time and mental capacity to share about this book I just finished!

If you have seen "Call the Midwife" on Netflix (or on BBC, when it was playing), you are one step ahead of this post. My mom mentioned the show several months ago, and one day, while Jeremy was in class, I decided it was time to try it. Truly, it is AWESOME. I immediately fell in love with the characters and their stories.

For the uninitiated, "Call the Midwife" follows nurse Jenny Lee (center in the picture above) and her fellow midwives who work in a convent. They are in the slums of London in the 1950's, and the challenges they face are incredible. Not only was this a fascinating series, but from what I understand, it is pretty accurate to the time period. And--if you allow me a moment to gush--I LOVE the clothes and hair of the fifties. It really doesn't have much to do with the story, but look at Nurse jenny lee in the picture below. She is beautiful, and I want that dress. However, yellow looks terrible on me, so I will settle for learning how to do the hair.

Anyway, So the series ran for three (short) seasons, and after I watched the series, I found myself wanting to know more. Luckily for me, "Call the Midwife" is based on a book that Jennifer Worth (Who actually was Jenny Lee, until she got married) wrote about Midwifery. The Midwife is the memoir she wrote, because she wanted people to learn about the truths of Midwifery.

Disclaimer: There are actually two books you can find by Jennifer Worth. One is The Midwife, which is the original, and one is actually a series--Call the Midwife. The Midwife was written before BBC came out with the series, and is a single book. Call the Midwife is a trilogy--the first book is identical to The Midwife, as far as I could tell. The table of contents was identical. I don't know anything about the other two books. I decided to start small, and go for the original. If anyone decides to read the series, you should tell me if it is similar to the original.

I loved the book! Jennifer's voice is so engaging, it felt like I was there in the situation. Although many characters are introduced, then left behind, it doesn't feel like your head is overloaded with names and places. In a way, I suppose it feels much like what a midwife would experience--where you get to witness just one small glimpse of a life, and that glimpse changes that family forever.

There was a huge mix of emotions in this book--there were beautiful stories, and there were sad stories. There were graphic stories, and there were terrifying stories. I am forever grateful that I did not pick up this book while pregnant, because there is a story about a woman who gets "Eclampsia," which is a rare, incurable disease that affects women who are pregnant. *Shudder.* But overall, the stories were so great that it didn't read like a memoir; it read like historical fiction, and after finishing, I want to know more.

Please read this book--it is amazing! And then talk to me about it, because no one else I know has read it yet, and I am dying to discuss this with someone!!

Happy reading!

As You Wish...

I almost don't need to reference the movie that this well-known line comes from. The Princess Bride has long been one of my favorite movies, and (once I learned it was based off a book) it quickly became a favorite book. It is one of those rare occasions when the book and movie are equal in greatness, and "book or movie?" has been a common debate among Princess Bride fans for a long time.

But the book and movie came out a long time ago. Imagine my surprise when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed one day, and there was an article about Carey Elwes (Westley) and the Princess Bride movie trivia he reveals in his new book, As You Wish. When I double checked Barnes and Noble online and realized that this was a real thing, the book shot to the top of my wish list. Luckily, We were about to go to Florida, so I needed a good book to read for the plane ride.

This did not disappoint. From pre-production to the twenty-five-year anniversary, Elwes takes the reader through his own memories, as well as the memories of the other actors and actresses involved in the film to paint an entertaining image of the behind-the-scenes happenings on the set.

For example: Did you know that the scene with Miracle Max and Valerie is almost entirely improvised? Carey Elwes kept laughing so hard during the shooting of these scenes, eventually a dummy was placed on the table, while he and Rob Reiner (the director) were asked to leave because they kept ruining takes.

Or, did you know that when the six-fingered man hits Westley on the top of his head, Westley really was knocked out? The actors couldn't get the timing right, because the six-fingered man's sword was not even touching Elwes' head, so Elwes suggested that the sword be tapped lightly on his head so he would know when to faint. Unfortunately, the sword fell harder than expected, and Carey Elwes was knocked unconscious, waking up later in the hospital. That is the take used in the film.

Page after page, I learned trivia tidbits. I loved it so much, and I kept interrupting Jeremy's reading to say "Hey, did you know..." and proceed to share the interesting tidbit I had learned.

I LOVED this, and I highly recommend it to any Princess Bride fan. It made me laugh, and it made me think. When I finished, all I wanted to do was sit down and read it again, then watch the movie, then read the original novel. Sadly, I haven't gotten to reading the novel yet, but I did watch the movie, and with my new knowledge of the behind-the-scenes action, I had a great time adding that extra depth to the story.

Read it!!