Review: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Hardcover, 247 pages
Published May 10th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads|Amazon

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Oh how I loved this book. I was so scared that I was setting my expectations to high but this book did not fail me! I have to say I love the name September *my birthday month* and this was a perfect time to read it.

The first thing I thought as I was reading was how much it reminded me of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. If you haven’t figured it out yet… I like that book… a lot. That is by far one of my favorite stories, movies, whatever I love it.

This book is very similar however it can definitely carry its own.

A small girl gets whisked away to a faraway land and has adventures and meets a how bunch of new “creatures” all while battling a Marquess and trying to stay alive. There are flying panthers, a mysterious key, and a marvelous sword.

The writing style is very imaginative and is told from the perspective of the narrator (this is what he or she calls itself). I really liked it being told that way.  It was definitely a cliffhanger ending and I closed the book with a smile on my face.

 It’s greatness in a book and I CAN NOT WAIT to read the next book.  

This very well could be my favorite read of the year. We will have to see though.

My Rating:

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
Goodreads|Amazon
Paperback, 514 Pages
Published June 21, 2011 by Vintage

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever

I have very conflicting feelings about this book. So I will just give my honest thoughts.

I was teetering on the edge on my decision to buy this or not. One of my friends was reading it and really recommended it. So I went ahead and picked it up on a random trip to Barnes & Noble. It has sat on my shelf for a good couple months. The more people were raving (or ranting) about it the more I lost interest in reading it. I was hearing about it EVERYWHERE! It was getting annoying. However I don’t like to waste money so I knew I would have to read it at some point. Finally the time came and it was added to my summer reading challenge.

I had absolutely no urge to read this book. From the second I picked it up I had all intention of just skimming through it. I had read part of the first chapter off of Amazon or Barnes & Noble so I just skipped up until I didn’t recognize it anymore, which was the part where she is meeting Mr. Grey.  I was pretty much hooked from the start.

I had no real problems with the writing style. It definitely wasn’t my favorite but there are some people that really hate it. My favorite parts to read were the emails or texts. It was kind of fun to see how they changed the subject throughout the conversations and that almost was a conversation in and of itself. You also got the chance to read the email as she would. It is so easy to not be able to tell if someone is joking or not in a text and email and Ana says the same thing in the book.

Ok, let’s talk about the characters.

Anastasia (Ana) Steele – Besides the fact that I like her name; I could really care less about her. I actually think she is kind of dumb.

Christian Grey – He is the reason I kept reading. I am actually interested in what happened to him to make him the way he is now. Oh and I should probably mention he is a total stalker! If I was Ana I would be trying my hardest to get away from him. Total Creeper.

Katherine Kavanagh – I didn’t really like her either. She was kind of nosey. There were certain things that were said by her that no best friend would say. I don’t care how much a friend you are. It was awkward!

“Mrs. Robinson” – I also want to keep reading because I want to know who she really is!

The only reason I want to read the next book is because I want to know about Christian Grey. If it wasn’t for him and his story then this book probably would’ve gotten a much lower rating.

This was the first “Erotica” book that I have read. The sexual stuff wasn’t bad; however, if you are totally against BDSM stuff or you are embarrassed easily. Then obviously you should be reading this book.  I really don’t have much to say about it. To each his own I guess.

Rating:

Laters, baby.  ;-)

Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Goodreads|Amazon
Paperback, 366 Pages   
Grand Central Publishing
April 19, 2011

Indiana, 1818. In a one-room cabin, nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his mother's bedside.

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, young Lincoln sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for almost two-hundred years - until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Now, using the journal as a guide, Seth reconstructs the true life story of America's greatest president. For the first time ever, he reveals the hidden history behind the Civil War - and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

It took me a while to read this book. I felt like I was reading a long chapter in a history book! The book is written from the view of someone else who has the intent of writing a book. (You will find out what I mean when/if you read it.) So some sections really are written as if you were reading a textbook. Scattered throughout the book are sections from the diary.

There are sections where he is having a battle of some sort or something exciting is going on. I like those sections. I particularly liked the parts of those sections that were taken from his diary. The in-between parts could sometimes get a little boring. I really had no urge to pick up the book until I finally got towards the end when I knew I was going to finish.

Of course most people know how Abe Lincoln’s life ended therefore you can guess how his life ends in the book. The actual end of the book did come as a surprise though and I did enjoy that. I also enjoyed the pictures that were scattered throughout. I was also quite glad that the vampires weren’t sparkly… What happened to them in the sun was much more “believable.”

In the end, I see no reason why I would reread this book. However, if you happen to like this style of book then you will probably thoroughly enjoy it.

Leave a comment if you have read this and what you thought of it!

Rating: