All the Books.

​ "A collection of stories, all set in the world of the Arc of a Scythe series by Shusterman. A Martian Minute  and Anastasia's Shadow were real standouts but after awhile they storie began to get repetitive and the lack of a singular narrator, iring. This was an interesting addition to the series but not as good as the series itself."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: Some interesting stories that add a bit more history to characters and the timeline of the series, such as the Cirrus expedition/What happens when you become Unsavory/ A Martian Minute and Anastasia’s Shadow were really well done.  Cons:  Though this focused more on the world of Arc of a Scythe, I did miss Rowan/Citra/Short stories are tough for me because they lack a linear storyline but that's just a pet peeve.  Full Review:  This was a collection of short stories that were all based in the world of rhe Arc of a Scythe series by Shusterman. Some stories were co-authored while others were written by his child...

"Love is a disease, the deadliest of them all.  Unfortunately for Lena,"Amor Delirium Nervosa" runs in her blood. It drove her mother to suicide and Lena's terrified that she'll somehow fall victim to it as well. She's a good, law abiding citizen and simply lives her life. As fate would have it, with her procedure mere months away, she sees a boy, their eyes meet and the rest is history. Though it had a good, dystopian, The Giver  vibe, Lena's painfully melodramatic naivete and Oliver's paragraph long descriptions were tedious."  ⭐️⭐️ Pros: The idea that love is a disease, "Amor Delirium Nervosa" was unique, a good hook/Oliver's truly built a world of her own with society twisted on its side, pure dystopia/Parts of the ending were surprising, which I appreciated.  Cons: Lena is painfully, obnoxiously oblivious/I almost DNFed with Lena's reaction to Alex's big reveal because it just seemed very unbalanced. Lena shared a dar...

"Monsters are real and they're crawling over Verity. Callum Harker and Henry Flynn offer protection to the citizens of V-City but each in their own way. Kate Harker, Callum's only daughter and August Flynn, one of Henry's adopted sons, who is also a Monster (a Sunai) want what all children want. A purposeful life and their parents love. Unfortunately, for them both, life is not easy, and they'll have to fight for both while trying to decide if they can trust each other. Schwab delivers in her usual, powerful, poignant and poetic way and I'm eager to see how the series progresses."  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros: The idea of the Phenomenon, Monsters coming to life in the wake of violent deaths (Corsai), murder (Malchai) and mass killings (Orsai), was definitely unique/It left off perfectly open-ended, allowing for expansion or leaving it as a stand-alone//To me, Schwab is a master of Magical Realism.  Cons : As I have a soft spot for the "quiet, tortured hero" (...

"Obviously targeted to writers but honestly, anyone could benefit from Bradbury's practical yet poetic advice, this was a collection of esasys by Bradbury about his writing process and reflections on some of his greatest works."   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Bradbury, duh, though I'm biased, to me, the man's prose is pure poetry, every word beautiful/Since writing is not my career, it was an interesting way to view Bradbury's life. Writing was his job and he was the only income. If he did not produce material, he would not get paid. It help put things into perspective.  Cons: The man can go on for a bit 😂/Bradbury's insane work ethic and endless endurance to just produce story after story seems insane and overwhelming but then again, this was his livelihood, so I'm sure it was insane and overwhelming. If he didn't write and get paid, they'd starve, so, it was a life or death situation. Full Review:  This was essentially a collection of essays written by Bra...

"A short-story set in The Kingkiller Chronicles, world, following Auri, the curiously broken but heart-wrenchingly gentle girl whom Kvothe befriends. Though the story was as vague and confusing as Auri, it was interesting to see the University from her eyes."  ⭐⭐⭐ Pros:  We know now that Auri was once a student at the University, or at least knew Mandrag, Headmaster of Alchemy. Cons:  We were given the briefest, barest, whisper of glimpses into Auri's past and I so wanted to know more but at the same time, Auri's brokenness is part of her draw.  Full Review:   ***Disclaimer***If you have not read The Name of the Wind or The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, please do so and then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you'll know what I'm talking about 🙌.*** Auri awakens and knows that he'll come and visit in 7 days.  She knows she doesn't have much time. There are Searching Days and Finding Days and Waiting Days, so many days and so ...

"Day 2 of The Kingkiller Chronicles has us hearing of more trials and tricks at the University. Kvothe's surprising time as a Mercenary and of course, his eternal back and forth with Denna. It all kind of ends on an unfinished note, so I'm eager to see how the series progresses. Rothfuss has truly made a legend of Kvothe, not just for his escapades but for also being a genuinely good person. The Kingkiller Chronicles is a staple in Fantasy, for me."  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Bast, he has a dark side but at the same time I'm terribly curious as to how he and Kvothe met/The interludes are a welcome break.  Cons: Kvothe's time with the Ademre mercenaries and learning their martial arts style of the Way of the Sword just dragged for me/Kvothe and Denna's constant back and forth can get tiring.  Full Review:  ***Disclaimer - If you have not read The Name of the Wind  by Patrick Rothfuss, please do so and then feel free to read this post at your leisure. That way, you'll ...