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Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Review)

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Total Pages: 248

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Would I read it again? Yes.

Comments:

I watched the movie first and adored it, so I wasn’t expecting the book to match my love for the movie, especially because the movie ending was so incredible. Somehow this book was every bit as good. This book was written for adults whereas the movie version was advertised as a “family” movie, so I enjoyed the fact that the book was more mature and… I don’t want to say realistic because it is still a fairytale… but the character development was everything I could imagine of a real person and I can’t express how much I appreciated that. The ending was a bit different than the movie but every bit as jaw-dropping and incredible. I also really loved the writing style, this is the first English book by Neil Gaiman that I’ve read (I’ve also read Coraline but it was translated into French) so I’m not sure if this is his usual writing style or something that he just took on for this specific book but it worked well with the story; if you told me that this was a classic fairytale written in the 19th century, I might’ve believed you. The reason I didn’t give it 10/10 is because the beginning was a bit slow, and because there were one or two times where I couldn’t believe that what I had just read was written by someone living in the 21st century, as they were so outdated and in some cases slightly offensive (it’s worth mentioning that these parts were very rare and brief, but still inappropriate). I also took half a point away because halfway through the book I realized the protagonist is named Tristran and not Tristan, and it quite honestly shocked and confused me because I’ve never heard this name before and in the movie his name is Tristan. All things considered, I really enjoyed this book, especially the ending.

Stardust Aesthetic:

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Review)

Overall rating: 7/10

Total pages: 309

Would I recommend it? Probably not.

Would I read it again? I might.

Comments:

This book is definitely meant for a younger audience but I still enjoyed reading it, it was a nice break from the heavier books I’m used to. I was a bit hesitant to get into this series for a few reasons, for starters I didn’t want to support J.K. Rowling by buying these books because I don’t agree with a lot of her opinions. But I recently found my dads old Harry Potter collection in the basement and decided to give it a try since I wouldn’t have to purchase any of the books. This book has something I’ve never seen before, each page was actually fun to read. Usually I enjoy books for their overall plots and not the actual act of reading because they tend to have highs and lows, and it feels like a chore to read through the lows… but for this book I actually enjoyed the act of reading itself and I completely understand how so many young readers became bookworms through this series. I’d call this a gateway book because it leads children into the world of reading. It was a good book but I’m still more of a Percy Jackson kinda girl, nothing personal.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Aesthetic:

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The Giver by Lois Lowry (Review)

Overall rating: 4/10

Total pages: 208

Would I recommend it? Maybe.

Would I read it again? No, but I’d listen to the audiobook if I was on a long trip.

Comments:

I thought the movie was incredible, so I wanted to read the book because books are almost always better than the movie… I’d say this was an exception. It’s not necessarily that the book was bad, it’s just that the movie was so amazing and well done in my opinion. The book only added a few small details, and none of them added to the depth of the story that the movie already had. The movie also added a few details that weren’t in the book but I’d actually argue that they enhanced the story quite a bit. Other than that, I’d say the movie and book are practically identical, aside from the general vibe. I’m not exactly sure why, because the plots were the same, but for some reason the book seemed sadder than the movie. For example, the ending to the book and movie were word for word the exact same but in the movie the ending had a feeling of hope and in the book it had a true feeling that it was the end for better or worse, maybe that’s just my personal take on it, but it’s a bit strange how different they felt despite being the same. If you’re interested in the story, I’d recommend watching the movie instead of reading the book. The movie truly captured the plot perfectly and even added details the book lacked.

The Giver Aesthetic:

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A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (Review)

Overall rating: 9/10

Total pages: 191

Favourite quotes: “When science has spoken, there is nothing more to be said.”, “Thus were formed those immense layers of coal, which nevertheless are not inexhaustible and which at the present rate of over-consumption will be exhausted in three centuries unless the industrial world devises some way of avoiding this.”, “… some people will believe nothing against the testimony of their own experience.”

Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely.

Would I read it again? Yes.

Comments:

Wow! This book is impressive. Jules Verne was very ahead of his time considering this book was written in 1864! I’m not going to spoil it but Jules Verne makes some very spot-on predictions, you can see what I mean in the quotes above. There’s nothing like a good science fiction/adventure fiction set in the 19th century, and I’d say this one is a must-read. The first half of the book is mostly building up to the adventure, but it’s sort of an adventure itself so I didn’t mind at all, and what they found when the adventure did start, made up for any boring parts that came before it. The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for my taste, but considering it was suspenseful right up until the very end, I can excuse the rushed ending because it adds to the thrill. It’s a quick read, I read the whole book in only a few days, so I definitely recommend it for anyone who’s been in a reading slump, or just needs a fast-paced book. Overall, I’m very glad I read this one, it’s definitely worth reading at least once in your life!

A Journey to the Center of the Earth Aesthetic:

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Review)

Overall rating: 9.5/10

Total pages: 369

How I discovered it: BookTok.

Favourite quotes: “name one hero who was happy”, “I’m going to be the first”, “I am made of memories”.

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Would I read it again? Yes.

Comments:

I’ve never cried over a book until I read the Song of Achilles. It is a tragically beautiful retelling of the Iliad… although I don’t believe you need to have read the Iliad before reading the Song of Achilles, it will really help to know the general events, locations, and especially characters of the Iliad. This is the second book I’ve read by Madeline Miller and I adore her writing style, it’s very concise and yet detailed. Overall, a very eventful, interesting, and emotional book.

The Song of Achilles Aesthetic:

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The beauty of Hunger by Florence + The Machine

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Review)

Overall rating: 5.5/10

Total pages: 850

How I discovered it: I enjoyed the show and wanted to read the book.

Favourite quote: “There is a fine line sometimes, between justice and brutality”

Would I recommend it? Probably not.

Would I read it again? Maybe.

Would I read the next book in the series? Yes.

Comments:

I really liked the plot and the detail. The beginning was pretty boring but it got very interesting very quickly and the boring parts contributed a lot to the overall plot. All of the characters and their relationships with each other were super intriguing. My only dislike was the excessive amount of… um… “R” rated scenes… which for the most part were so embarrassing that it almost ruined the book for me, if it weren’t for the amazing plot. Overall not bad but not perfect.

Outlander Aesthetic: