No Great Mischief

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Alistair MacLeod
Format: Paperback
Pages: 296
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Using Goodreads): Alexander MacDonald guides us through his family’s mythic past as he recollects the heroic stories of his people: loggers, miners, drinkers, adventurers; men forever in exile, forever linked to their clan. There is the legendary patriarch who left the Scottish Highlands in 1779 and resettled in “the land of trees,” where his descendents became a separate Nova Scotia clan. There is the team of brothers and cousins, expert miners in demand around the world for their dangerous skills. And there is Alexander and his twin sister, who have left Cape Breton and prospered, yet are haunted by the past. Elegiac, hypnotic, by turns joyful and sad, No Great Mischief is a spellbinding story of family, loyalty, exile, and of the blood ties that bind us, generations later, to the land from which our ancestors came.

My Thoughts Here: I thought this book was, at times, very hard to follow. It is sometimes a story told within a story. It consists of flashbacks with a reflection on how it affects the present day. I had to really pay attention to make sure that I didn't think the past was the present or vise versa. Some parts of the novel seemed to drag on while others went by in a flash. Focus was necessary for sure. 

The novel was full of great visuals. In fact, the novel starts in a place I am familiar with and I was instantly transported there. I could see what he saw. I love that it takes place in Canada, not many novel do. I love that it started near my home even more. 

There was a problem with names though. Calum is the brother but also the name of the great-great-grandfather or something like that. Plus, there are three Alexanders. There isn't just two, there are three. I understand that it was supposed to build some connection between them and to point to the family relations (we studied this novel in my Canadian Literature class...luckily, I almost failed the essay and feel it's now necessary for you to suffer with me...). Family is a huge part of this novel, I understand but maybe it could have been easier to figure out without all the similar names.

In some parts of this novel, I found it awkwardly inappropriate. Inappropriate is one thing but the phrasing of it and the words chosen made it super awkward to read. I was uncomfortable at parts. I mean nothing is super detailed or horrible or anything, just awkward.

Also, ew on the ripping out of teeth but I love that he became an orthodontist because of it. 

In Conclusion: I was lucky enough to meet the writer who used to teach at my university and came in to talk about this novel. He was pretty entertaining as a person and kind of funny. I even got my copy signed, be jealous. Also, like I said above, I love that this took place in Canada. I think it is similar is ways to perks of being a wallflower (a stretch) and to Looking for Alaska (still a stretch). I'm not sure who to recommend this novel too. Maybe you'll want to look into it though. Then again, had I not been forced to read it for class, I probably would not have read it at all. I'll leave it up to you.

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My Rating: 6 out of 10

So, yeah. Had to read this for class. It was okay, I didn't give up on it so you know, that's a good thing! 

I really liked that I could picture everything because finally, a book from home about home! 

- Kristen 

Hopeless

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Colleen Hoover
Format: eBook
Pages: 327
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (love Goodreads): Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My Thoughts: Talk about plot twists! This book is full of surprises! I can't believe that characters were able to keep these secrets. I was a little bit sad though that I was able to be a bit ahead of the story. By the middle, I was figuring out things in advance. It was kind of a let down but I still enjoyed it a lot. I liked having my ideas confirmed. It was a very dramatic and emotional. This novel was a bit of a wild ride. Plus, Holder was kind of awesome though not so much at the beginning as he was at the end.

This book was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a happy, easy, love story where everything ends perfectly. It was not. It was pretty great and I couldn't put it down but it was not a simple story. The writing style was perfect for this story. The author did great work.

Conclusion: This novel was full of emotion and crazy plot twists. I'm so glad I read this book and couldn't put it down.

Plus, the guy is super hot! I'd like one of him even with all the wall punching.

Sorry it's sooooo short, I'm so afraid of spoilers on this one. Just trust Kristen and I, this novel is great!

Origin

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jessica Khoury
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 394
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads is my favourite!): Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

What I Think: I really enjoyed this novel. I think that it is a very original idea. I felt that Pia was both a good use of my new Latin skills (It always helps to know what a name mean, authors really do think about that kind of thing) and a great character. I thought that she was strong and brave. Sure, at the beginning she was kind of closed-minded and uncaring but when I look back at it, of course she was like that! She had no concept of what the real world, or any part of the world for that matter, was like. I'm happy that she learned. I love characters that are curious and have drive. 

Another plus was that the author didn't just go with the 'immortality is okay' thing and run with it. I'm glad she threw in something to think about. She does it subtly too so you don't have to worry, the thinking involved doesn't hurt your head.

As I was reading, I kept thinking that this one part was super sad and stood out too much. I couldn't figure out what the significance was and it bothered me. When I did figure it out though, it hit my like a brick wall and my epiphany came a few pages too early. It wasn't a bad thing, it made me feel better.

Finally, I really want to know what ended up happening with the ants!

In Conclusion: I loved this novel. I would definitely consider reading it again and again. It was a pretty easy read so it didn't take me very long at all. It's a bit of a stretch on science and a little sad in a few part (I almost cried in class) but if you can get past these two things then you're golden and should check this book out.

Heaven is For Real

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Pages: 163
Format: Paperback
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (from GoodReads): This is the true story of Colton Burpo, the four-year old son of a small-town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven.

My Take: This is an interesting book. It makes you think about what there really is after death. People don't always think about this topic all that often. The point of the book is not to make you believe in anything but to tell Colton's story. I'm glad it wasn't trying to be persuasive. The boy has a lot to say with a great way to look at the world and life. He gives people a lot to think about whether they want to think about it or not. You can't help but finish the book and be left with questions.

The story was told from someone who was right there, otherwise it wouldn't have been believable. The stuff that this boy says in simply incredible. This was a definite page turner; I finished it in just over two hours. It opens with the troubles the family was already facing before the real story begins. This didn't bother me at first but as the book went on, I found that the same part of the story was told multiple times. It wasn't a very big deal though, just a small thing in the big picture that is this story.

Final Take: It would help for you to have some religious background but it isn't necessary. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious and open about life after death. Even if you just want a good story about life and overcoming obstacles, this is a good book for you.

The Me I Want To Be

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: John Ortberg
Pages: 254
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 10 out of 10

Summary (From GoodReads): Reading The Me I Want to Be is your first step to becoming God’s best version of you. Join bestselling author and pastor John Ortberg as he guides you through the sometimes difficult but ultimately fulfilling journey towards a uniquely created spirituality. One designed just for you … one that will enable you to experience God more fully each day. Available in four unique colours, customers purchasing at retail will select the cover they prefer.

My Thoughts: So this is probably one of the first 'self-help'y books that's been reviewed on this blog but I just love this book. It's very affirming, has close to a gillion amazing quotes, has personal quizzes, cool tips, and many funny and heartwarming stories. The stories are entertaining but also relatable so that you can learn something from them and you can find the lesson in it. This book really makes you feel good about yourself and if by the end you still don't it gives you tips to help you with that. Personally, I have some issues with who I am, many people do, that's just how I thought life always was but this book told me that there could be something more than just that. It actually really helped. You should give it a look!

Anna Karenina

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Leo Tolstoy
Pages: 754
Format: Paperback
Rating: 2 out of 10

Summary (From GoodReads): The sensual, rebellious Anna renounces a respectable yet stifling marriage for an affair that offers passion even as it ensnares her for destruction. Her story contrasts with that of Levin, a young, self- doubting agnostic who takes a different path to fulfilment.


My Take: Thought it began interesting enough, with its multiple love stories that were all woven together, it quickly grew confusing and complicated. I was interested to know how it ended and I truly did want to finish it but I just couldn't do it. I got lost in the Russian names that I couldn't pronounce and the many nicknames/short forms of names that each character had. There were many characters and each had at least three different names. Also, my mind couldn't decided which characters I liked and which I didn't. One second I liked one and the next I couldn't stand them. It drove me crazy.

The plot was good when I could keep track of who we were talking about. The switching between the different story lines had no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes one character got two chapters and other times they got five or six in a row. I didn't like that. Soon I was skipping chapters so that I could just read the parts about Anna because I was the most interested in her but in the end I gave up on the story all together. I ended up googling the ending because I still wanted to know. One day I'll try reading it again but for now it sits on my shelf with the bookmark hanging out of it.

Final Thoughts: It has a good but slightly very confusing plot. You really have to be paying attention and have a long attention span because not all 750 pages are filled with action but are all filled with words. On the upside, you may make it all the way through it. It has a interesting ending according to google. I hope you can get through it.

P.S. How do you make it through really long books? Any tips?


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UPDATE - Kristen


It's kind of funny that Kelsey decided to post this today, because I literally recommended this to someone today! Though I'm still trudging through it, I kind of like the changing chapters though I do wish Anna herself was more focused on. I'm determined to finish this, no  matter what.
My rating thus far isn't has low as Kels', probably a 7 for me.

Lady Chatterley's Lover

So I just finished reading this book. I won't do a review for it but instead I just want to throw up a quick mention. I found that this book had a very interesting way of looking at not only life and love but also marriage and affairs in general (not so much the end but it was a novel for fun after all!). It had a very interesting way to look at it and I really enjoyed it. I would "movie" rate the book a little higher than PG13 though so watch out. ☺
~Kelsey

God's Eye

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: A.J Scudiere
Pages: 419
Format: eBook
My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Summary (from Goodreads): Katharine Geryon is living the life her family name has dictated, and why not? After all, it has given her a good job in the family company and a fine life with all the things she should want. But all that changes as increasingly disturbing events begin to occur: soot stains on the carpet, glimpses of strange black animals, and cryptic messages written on her bathroom mirror. Baffled and afraid, Katharine begins to doubt her own sanity.

At the same time, two charismatic men enter her life: Allistair, her new assistant at work, and Zachary, a well-heeled neighbor who just moved into her building. Katharine soon finds each of them inextricably entangled in her affairs. As her life becomes stranger and her dreams more terrifying, she realizes neither man is what he seems and that she's caught in something far beyond her own comprehension. For the first time, she must reach beyond her own boundaries. There Katharine forges her first true friendship with Margot, a librarian who helps her discover what these men really are, why she's drawn to them, and what they want with her.

The answer places Katharine in the middle of a fierce battle that forces her to decide between the two men fighting for her soul.

In the end, only one can be saved, but all three will be judged.

My take: To be completely honest, I did not think that I would enjoy this book. I thought it would be average, nothing extraordinary. I was so completely and utterly wrong. As soon as I started reading this book, I literally could not put it down. I absolutely loved the writing style, and I felt that the alternating perspectives really worked and enhanced this novel. This is the first book I've read by this author and it will certainly not be my last. I truly enjoyed reading this book. This book was so unique from anything that I've read that I couldn't stop. I would literally spend hours at a time reading this. I brought my laptop to school so I could finish the book whenever I had a moment. Having your mind invaded and your world being completely different from what you once knew was a riveting plot line. The good vs evil trying to steal her soul was original and done tastefully. All in all, A.J Scudiere has created a masterpiece!

Final Thoughts: I seriously recommend this book if you're into the paranormal, suspense genre. This book kept me up until the wee hours in the morning because I had to know what was going to happen next. Don't let this one pass you by!

The Next Door Boys

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jolene B. Perry
Pages: 272
Format: ARC (From NetGalley)
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (From GoodReads): With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas— not to mention the ever expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her— Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places.

My Take: This book sounds like it is a bit depressing but trust me, it's no My Sister's Keeper. I'm not one for sad stories and that's good because this isn't one of those kinds of stories, not at all. Actually, it's the opposite. It's about getting better and happier and changing for the better. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a good love story.

The plot was easy to follow and there weren't so many characters that you would get lost of confused alone the way. I was slightly confused at the beginning because there is a big religious component in this novel but I was having a hard time figuring out exactly what was happening with that. I figured it out about half way through so no worries there!

Final Thoughts: I really did enjoy this novel. I would recommend it to people who have a religious or spirtual back ground or at least are able to follow along with it and for people who really love a good love story and all around happy ending.

What Happened to Goodbye

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 402
Format: Hardcover
My rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (From Goodreads): Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

My Take: Honestly, I loved this book. I'm a huge fan of anything Sarah Dessen. I knew her themes and style. Also, the biggest part of the plot is that she moves around a lot and even though I have never moved in my life, always having gone to the same school and living in the same house, Dessen made it easy for me to follow alone and understand what McLean was going through. Like McLean I also try to change a bit of myself every time I start something new or have the chance to be something different. I really knew what she was going through. The message of the story even managed to speak to someone who had never moved.

The characters were love able and we were given enough background over the course of the story to get into their heads in a way. The setting was clearly described as was McLean's family situation. A plus is that I didn't really see the end coming which doesn't happen all that often. I was ten seconds away from throwing the book across the room, angry at the ending, when it changed in time to end well and make me happy.

Final Thoughts: If you have read other Sarah Dessen books and loved them, read this. I think that this novel might be one of my favourite books that she has written. If you love happy endings, this is for you. Basically, I want to really recommend this book to whomever I can. Loved it.