This was a hard one for me. I really wanted to like this book but it just didn't work for me. After writing Ready Player One, can you even go up? Cline answers this question with a definite no. The characters are flat and so is the plot. There is no real excitement or sense of pressure. The ending was cleared mapped out in the novel so it wasn't surprising to get to the end AKA the ending that was built up the whole time. Maybe Cline was feeling the pressure after writing such a great work of fiction but really, where is his editor? I wouldn't recommend this novel but I would highly recommend RPO. Apologies to Cline for having to use his other novel for comparison but with such a thing to live up to, I don't think anyone could have pulled off a second novel that sounds exactly like the first.
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Gurley impresses with dark, rolling prose in his new drama, Eleanor, a novel that begins with the death of Eleanor's twin in a car accident. Probing deep into family affairs, depression, and alcoholism, Gurley manages to merge family drama with science fiction, where Eleanor is contacted by her deceased twin and transported into another realm, resulting in her multiple disappearances. This novel is a tough read and highly intellectual. This is not a beach read but rather a novel that should be spanned over a week or two to allow its readers to soak in every aspect of the story. Gurley's writing style is striking and worth the time it takes to tread through. I would suggest interspersing some lighter reads between your attempt to tackle this monster! This novel takes some effort but it is so worth it! You'll definitely feel smarter after reading this one! d'Errico, a rising artist in the style of pop surrealism, takes her readers on an exploratory journey through the creation of her works in "Pop Painting: Inspiration and Techniques from the Pop Surrealism Art Phenomenon." d'Errico not only covers the tools and processes of her trade, but also covers diverse subject matter. Her readers follow her in the creation of portraits, animals, and blends of both. Not only can artists pick up this book and find techniques and methods to benefit his or her own individual style, but also inspiration. I will keep this book around to inspire me when I get artist's block. Flipping through d'Errico's paintings will spark imagination for my own projects. Even if you are not an artist, d'Errico's "Pop Painting" could make you into a beginning artist. d'Errico walks you through the world of painting, step by step, simple enough to follow for someone who has never picked up a paintbrush. This isn't your typical how-to guide to painting however. It is a creative, unique style that can teach creativity. Strong, durable, and high quality, this book is perfect for the animal lover in you! Heally has compiled some of the cutest animals with some of the most adorable captions imaginable. This book will not doubt cheer you up after a bad day, just what it's intended to do! This book is adopted from what began as a Twitter feed of photos. While I am not familiar with the Twitter feed, I just hope it keeps coming! I love animal photo compilations and what better way to interact with them than owning this book. This little trinket of cute is high quality cuteness and perfect for a premiere seat on my coffee table! I might even gift it in the future because of the high quality and beautiful printing of the photos. This little gift book is everything I could have ever wanted! Recently a bride to be, I wanted to get a head start on wedding planning! I believed this 300 page book filled to the brim with color photos and documentation of many couples' weddings would be just the way to get started. I was completely right! This anthology collecting all types of outdoor weddings, from urban to rustic, is the way for any newly engaged woman to find out what she likes. Not only is the book packed with photos, but also tidbits of information about each weddings and captions under photos detailing the object pictured. The Knot really outdid themselves on this one! I'm in love! I would recommend this beautiful collection of photos and stories to any new bride to be, especially one struggling with the decision of theme and colors. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion has in no way been altered or influenced. In this 65 page novella by the famed Gillian Flynn, a bogue fortune teller hooker is out for the money when she accepts Susan Burke's proposal to clear her house of its demonic feelings. The main character, who is unnamed throughout the entire story, finds herself in for much more than she bargained for with the seemingly haunted house and the deranged stepson. There is quite a twist at the end of the story, surprise, surprise Flynn. I am still pondering the end, trying to decide what I believe for myself. Flynn has once again outdone herself and presented her readers with yet another mind-bending narrative that keeps you guessing in only 65 pages. You can finish this book in under an hour and I highly recommend you do so! Maybe don't make the mistake I did in reading this while you're home alone... I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion has in no way been compromised by this fact. Deciding to try something new, I started reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. I am not usually a fan of nonfiction or journalism which this book combines into a captivating new writing and retelling style. I was most interested in this book because I live in Western North Carolina, where the Appalachian Trail travels through the area. I have heard many people speak of hiking the trail and parts of the trail on weekends and vacations. Bryson sheads an intimate light on the journey of hiking the trail that I found interesting and refreshing. The book isn't just a journal of facts, it reads just like a novel. Even if this book wasn't a true story, it would still be a great piece of fiction. Bryson is a terrific writer and makes the travel intriguing and the characters they meet along the way feel real. I read the movie-tie in cover version, as pictured, and I just love this cover way more than the original. I would love to see the film after reading this. I hope it exceeds my expectations, but it might be difficult to expect that considering Bryson's writing style was really what made the book. I hope the filmmakers can translate Bryson's writing style according. I definitely recommend this book to those interesting in nature and travel, but also those who love to focus on character in fiction. Bryson makes the people he meets along the way come to life. Great read and I will surely recommend it to others! Learn to self-publish with this full-color informational book with a mecha of publishing tidbit gold! Not only do Love and Withers cover the complete timeline of selling your comics, but they also give tips on how to create one! Nearly every page features a full color illustration and most pages feature "pro-tips." These tips are tidbits of insider information from self-published comic creators and most even own their own business! When I ordered this book, I was not expecting a 200+ page book packed wall to wall with information. However, that is what I received. While the retail value on this book is $24.99, you can get it on Amazon for less than $15. Absolutely worth the value! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. My opinion has in no way been biased. What a sweet little book this will be, my naivety thought, glancing at the cover of "Bittersweet" by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore and ordering the novel without reading the description, as I often do. This one will give me a break from the intense novels I have been reading lately, I thought. As I began reading this tame coming of age story, I was pleased. Mabel, finding herself befriending her rich college roommate, eventually ends up joining Ev on her family’s place on a lake in Vermont. What a light read that I could enjoy and finish and forget about. Then the twists began happening. Ev’s family’s true story and history begins to be unveiled and what follows is one story you won’t want to miss. There’s probably no way to even explain any other aspect of this novel without spoiling something! You just have to read it for yourself! The only problem I have with this novel is that the book seems to be mostly character oriented even though the plot has potential to take over. My personal preference is for the plot to dominate and wrap me up in its twists and turns. This plot seemed to be put on the back burner just to compliment the characters. With a plot like this, I prefer it to dominate. Overall, great read that you can easily finish in one sitting on your porch, on the beach, anywhere with your feet propped up and your mind relaxing. The story of Lorraine's search for the truth about the mysterious suicides of her sister's town amongst a cast of jumbled, random characters failed to meet my expectations. While Hayes' first novel "Until You're Mine" was worth the read, the downfalls of her first novel took precedence in her second. "What You Left Behind" has too many storylines, too many mysteries, and too many unnecessary details. While I may have felt pushing through those problems was worth it in "Until You're Mine," in no way do I recommend dealing with those issues to finish this novel. Not only is the twist ending less satisfying, but it is also too clean. "What You Left Behind" just seems to be Hayes trying to write the exact same novel. Bonus: you even get one of the same characters (Lorraine). It seems that Hayes has a formula for her thrillers and it will not work past the first time she uses it. 1.5 out of 5 Please don't even borrow this book from your local library. I received a copy of this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not biased in any way. |
AuthorJust a twenty something trying to read my way through life. Archives
November 2016
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