The Bookish Island: 2018

Showing posts with label 2018. Show all posts

2/15/2019

The Diver by Veronica Carratello | Book Review #147

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Diver by Veronica Carratello

Are there spoilers?

Yes, there are some spoilers.

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Disclaimer:

This book was sent to me by the publishing company (Nobrow) in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Diver

Author: Veronica Carratello

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Pages: 32

Published: 2018

Publisher: Flying Eye Books

Genre: Children's Book, Picture Book

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Date Read: I can't remember but it was in 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

A young girl and a penny coin share an unlikely dream to become divers in this enchanting tale from award-winning Italian illustrator Veronica Caratello.

The moment a penny sees a diving competition on television, it is determined to become a diver itself. Discarded by most, the penny is picked up by a girl who just so happens to be a young diver in training. Will both of them be able to achieve their dream with the power of a single wish?

The Rating:

My Review:

The Diver is about a little girl who is scared she won't do the best dive that she can in her next competition and with the help of a penny she wishes and it helps with her dream.

As always I first look at the illustrations that these picture books have. And I notice how vibrant the pastels are and how great the colors pair up with each other. The pallet is perfect for the mood this book gives off. The illustrations of the characters and the backgrounds are clean and kid friendly. By that, I mean that they are easy to distinguish.

The end pages are super bright (almost blindingly) and I love the illustrations there too.
The front cover. For the longest time, I thought that the girl had some sort of headband with cat ears. But it was just a fountain behind her.
The back cover is adorable with the little girl and the coin about to take a dive.

It's not a very diverse book unless you count background characters that don't arent in the story. In fact, the MC and her family are all white, blonde, and have light colored eyes. So that was something that I wish could have been different. Considering that we are in modern times and interracial couples DEFINITELY exist.

I loved the penny and their story. They were a complete character. They had a dream and had some troubles achieving them. They were even going through some bullying. And in the end, got what they wished for the most.

One thing that bothered me was how no one wanted the penny. The dad even said it wasn't worth anything. And it bothered me because all my life my mother has taught me the value of money. Especially of a penny. We would even spot change on the street and pick it up. Because she taught me that even if its one cent of a nickel or a dime in the end when you pick up a bunch of them you are going to have some money you didn't plan for. I've bought books saving up like that now. And when I was a kid I used to save up for toys. And I know that I am definitely going to teach my kids the same lesson.

In the end, this is a children's picture book so I loved the illustrations. The story was motivating and about not giving up on your dreams of doing your best. And It's a good read and easy to read to others. I've already read it more than 4 times since I got it. So I recommend it.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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1/29/2019

All I Need by Susane Colasanti | Book Review #144

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
All I Need by Susane Colasanti

Are there spoilers?

There's are some spoilers but then again its all in the synopsis.
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Title: All I Need

Author: Susane Colasanti

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Pages: 240

Publisher: Viking

Published: 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Women's Fiction

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Date Read: December 22, 2018

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

The Rating:

My Review:

All I Need was a quick contemporary YA novel with a girl from a rich family and boy from a poor family who find each other during summer and fall in love.

The author doesn't seem to understand the differences between an Adult Romance and a Young Adult Romance because some things in her book seem out of place. Like the relationships between the main characters and how they think. It's like the situations she puts these characters in are meant to be in an Adult Romance rather than what it is. I often found myself thinking that if this was an Adult Romance I would have liked it better.

I had no feelings for this story or the characters. Mostly because of how the author wrote Sky and Seth's relationship and situations.

The insta-love between Sky and Seth was bad. I disliked every second. They would constantly tell each other and themselves that their love was forever and that they couldn't be apart from each other. But they didn't even know each other's last names or anything.
They meet one summer fall in love and on the last day of summer they arrange to meet and Seth doesn't show up. So they don't see each other since, again, they don't know anything about each other. And when they reunite it is as if they were covered in glue, cause they become inseparable.

Still, it was an easy read with easy transitions and dialogue but the characters made no impact on me. At all.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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1/27/2019

My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal | Book Review #143

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal

Are there spoilers?

There's a spoonful of spoilers.
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Title: My Last Kiss

Author: Bethany Neal

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Pages: 368

Publisher: Square Fish

Published: 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Ghosts

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Date Read: November 24 > December 26, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

In Bethany Neal's My Last Kiss, Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss—the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died—is a blur.

Now, Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn't a suicide as everyone assumes. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she'll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made—good and bad—that led to her last kiss.

The Rating:

My Review:

My Last Kiss was a strange book for me to understand. But in the end, I truly enjoyed it.

Its the author, Bethany Neal's debut novel which can explain why it was a little odd for me to get. The parts where Cassidy went between past, present and even between settings were -I don't even know how to explain it. It was just too much for a story that already has too much going on. Maybe thats just me who feels that way but- yeah.

My Last Kiss starts off great. Cassidy wakes up and realizing that she's dead. She just doesn't know how that happened. She goes through a shift in her being that shows her what exactly happened in the days leading up to her eventual death. It alternates between Cassidy now and what happened before her death. And along the way, she realizes that she had done some things she's not proud of. She ends up wanting to fix things for her friends and the boy she loved with the idea that it might help her pass on. Basically, the main character, Cassidy is dead and as a spirit is stuck among the living till she figures out what really happened to her.

The version of Cassidy before her death did a bunch of things that hurt her friends and her boyfriend, Ethan. And the things she did were a bit much. In other words, she just wasn't the best. At times dumb and too selfish. And the way she treated her childhood friend, Caleb was too much. She basically used him until she didn't have a use for him anymore.

And I don't even what to talk about her relationship with her friends. They couldn't be any more different and yet so similar. And the fact that none of them really talked or saw what was going on between them was shit. I wasn't that close with my friends from high school but I still knew them. Like knowing what was going on with them, whether it was physically, emotionally or in the family. Or maybe I was just a good listener. 😕

Also, the fact that you can be in a group of so-called friends and don't have the slightest hint of intuition that one of them, or more, are harboring ill intentions is just beyond my understanding. I know it's not like in telenovelas where the bad guys are too obvious with their evil faces but its still an intuition thing. Like an aura you just feel. That's why I always say, trust your instincts.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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1/25/2019

Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook | Book Review #142

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook

Are there spoilers?

There are some spoilers.

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Title: Year of Mistaken Discoveries

Author: Eileen Cook

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Pages: 272

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Published: 2014

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

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Date Read: December 22, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared: they were both adopted.

Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact...until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying it's urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom, but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party.

Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora's loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora's who is also looking for a way to respect Nora's legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what she's really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics.

The Rating:

My Review:

Year of Mistaken Discoveries was a part of my December TBR for 2018. It was such a good book. I read it in one sitting and cried a handful of times. Loved it.

Year of Mistaken Discoveries was a cute contemporary book. While the main character was going through some serious stuff, all throughout it was still too cute.

The main character Avery changed so much from the beginning of the book to the end. She was a popular cheerleader with a football player boyfriend and because of Nora's suicide she changes and takes life more seriously. And the change was done well not exaggerated or messy.

There were parts that bothered me like how concentrated she was into getting into Duke rather than properly dealing with her emotions and what happened to her. but I get it getting into Duke was her life. Her way of establishing that road to her future and her education. Something like that is so important sometimes that you can't see anything but that goal.

In the end, it was good to see Avery growing up. Understanding what her friend had been going through. It was nice. I'm happy that Avery and Brody got together and sorted things out. But then again it was obvious they were going to end up together.

Avery and Brody were so cute together. Wonder Woman and Batman.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
Blog | Tumblr | Instagram | Youtube | Goodreads

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8/02/2018

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding | Book Review #122

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: Bridget Jones' Diary

Author: Helen Fielding

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Pages: 288

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 1999

Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

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Date Read: July 7 > July 8, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:
a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."
Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.
Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"

The Rating:

My Review:

Bridget Jones's Diary is cute. I wouldn't say I'm happy that I got to experience this book but I also wouldn't say that I'm glad I read it. It was just not as great as I thought it would be.

I fell in love with the movie so much that I somehow thought I would love the book too. I mean, I don't like to watch movies multiple times because everything is just too fresh in my head but with the movie version of this novel I have probably watched well over ten times if not more.

Colin Firth was amazing and even though I hadn't seen him as official Darcy in the Pride and Prejudice adaptation I loved him as Mark Darcy.

*swoons and fans herself with her fancy hand fan when he's not looking. And tries not to make a fool of herself when he's looking*

As for the rest of the series, I just don't know if I will read the rest or not. I mean, I already own the third book so maybe, maybe not.

Goodreads | Book Depository

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7/29/2018

Wait With Me by Amy Daws | Book Review #120

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Wait With Me by Amy Daws

Are there spoilers?

A few ones may have escaped me.

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Title: Wait With Me

Author: Amy Daws

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Pages: 302

Publisher: Stars Hollow Publishing

Published: 2018

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult

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Date Read: May 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★✩✩

When romance novelist Kate Smith suddenly gets writer's block as she's beginning the final installment of her international bestselling erotic Bed 'n Breakfast series, she'll do pretty much anything to get her groove back.
Like sneak into a Tire Depot waiting room because her words flow there just like complimentary coffee-smooth, sweet, and scorchingly hot.
She manages to fly under the radar until the rugged and charming mechanic, Miles Hudson, notices the quirky redhead slinking in and out of the employees only entrance.
But she's way too intriguing to blow the whistle on.
Doing a test-drive of her new book idea sounds like a much better option.

The Rating:

My Review:

Wait With Me was so good. Not great but good.

I loved the main character in this book, Kate. She is a writer having some trouble getting inspiration. Wheather it was because of the little fact that she still lived with her ex and he's not the best guy ever to her, or that she just isn't getting inspired. At the same time her car breaks down (I actually don't remember if that's what happened) and she meets the waiting room and finds inspiration at Tire Depot. (was it a tire store??)

Then she finds ways of constantly going there without being found out just to use that room and write her novel and that's how she meets Miles. Miles is one of the mechanics there. And the two instantly connect.

I don't like Miles 100%. It's more like 25%. Maybe more, maybe less. His character and personality just didn't seem right to me. He was too controlling and jealous for my taste.

*shrugs and mouths idk*

Besides Miles, there were also other parts that I didn't like. For me, at times it just sounded a bit boring and at others, it felt like too much was happening.

😕

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island

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7/26/2018

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare | Book Review #119

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: Romeo and Juliet

Author: William Shakespeare

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Pages: 304

Publisher: SparkNotes

Published: 2003

Genre: Fiction, Classic

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Date Read: July 6, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

No Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of Romeo and Juliet on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right.

The Rating:

My Review:

Much like my feelings for Much Ado About Nothing, I think that this is a story I've known before. Not only have I seen the movies, and the other movie adaptations, but I have also seen the live play, back when I was in high school. And it was the same story. So I already knew what was going to happen. Not surprised at all.

And like MAAN, I have a few favorite versions of this old story.

Romeo + Juliet
Warm Bodies

I also like Romeo Must Die. Since its a Jet Li movie. And we used to watch all his movies then. But I don't like it as much as the other two.

Goodreads | Book Depository

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7/22/2018

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | Book Review #118

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

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Pages: 438

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Date Read: July 8, 2018

Rating: ★★★★☆

A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family and first love
CATH IS A SIMON SNOW FAN. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan... But for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath that she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

The Rating:

My Review:

I enjoyed reading Landlines by Rainbow Rowell and since a lot of people talk such good things about Fangirl I knew I would like that too. And now that I have read it I am happy to report I that I do like Fangirl. Not as much as thought I would but still.

I can't remember much about the book because a lot of things have been going on in my personal life lately but I do remember liking the part where Cath describes how she feels her heartstrings tugging in her stomach. I appreciated that because I feel it in my gut too. Especially when I watch a romantic movie or a sad scene or when I read a good book and the main couple isn't doing so well.

I didn't think much about Cath and Levis relationship. Except that they were realistic and sweet together. I couldn't help but root for them. I liked that Cath read to him and he would believe everything she told him. That he wasn't bothered by Cath fanfictions and actually liked listening to her stories.

Now I can happily read Carry On.

Goodreads | Book Depository

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7/13/2018

Shug by Jenny Han | Book Review #116

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Shug by Jenny Han

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: Shug

Author: Jenny Han

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Pages: 248

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Contemporary

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Date Read: July 6, 2018

Rating: ★★★★★

SHUG is clever and brave and true (on the inside, anyway). And she's about to become your new best friend.
Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark, the boy she's known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens tomorrow when there's just no figuring out today?

The Rating:

My Review:

This story had everything. From problems at home to boy problems to school problems.
And right in the middle was Annemarie. A 12-year-old who had just begun junior high. She came across puberty, and first crushes, and the knowledge that her parents might not be as close as they once were. And with her big sister not being around as much, and her two close friends both having their own stuff to deal with, she gets to go through most of that on her own.

Annemarie was brilliant in every way. Smart, sassy, and didn't let the boys mess with her. Which only made me wish I had a friend like her when I was that age.

I cried. Like I cried, cried. It wasn't pretty either. But I also fell in love with this book.

It was such a sweet and easy to read book that was a perfect in-between to read after having been reading a few strong Mystery/Thrillers. I loved that it was a quick read and that it had such a good story. Making me think about another book that made me feel that way. Flipped. And like Flipped, This has to be a movie. Because that would be so cooooool!

Also, this book and Flipped should totally be BFFs.
See my review of
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Goodreads | Book Depository

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7/08/2018

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene | Book Review #113

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: The Secret of the Old Clock

Author: Carolyn Keene

Series: Nancy Drew Mystery #1

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Pages: 180

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Published: 1987

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Classic, Children's, Fiction

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Date Read: From June 22 to June 27, 2018

Rating: ★★★★☆

This is a facsimile reprint of the first ever Nancy Drew book, published 1930.
Nancy Drew's keen mind is tested when she searches for Mr. Crowley's missing will.

The Rating:

My Review:

There were too many characters being introduced to keep track of. And they were oddly in sets of two.

The mystery was good. Not great but good. Everything was obviously there in plain sight. I did not expect the will being at a security deposit box though. And Nancy trying to figure out which bank it was in was actually cool.

I dont know who I feel about Nancy as a sleuth or even as a character. For someone who liked being involved in mysteryes and getting in trouble, why doesn't she know how to defend herself. I believe that ladies who sleuth should know how to kick ass and get out of it alive.

I also discovered/found the Get a Clue, Nancy Drew Podcast and fully agree with them. They are great and I recomend you listen to them if you like the Nancy Drew books.