The Book of Strange New Things

     Hi guise, it appears that this will be the first review of this month. I haven't been active as much in reading due to school and dealing with life's issues. But as I mentioned in the Future Reviews post, this was going to be posted as a review. I would like to thank Blogging for Books for sending me this book and I pretty much enjoyed it. I hope to try another one and have a review by next month. :)


     The book I will be reviewing today is The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. Initially I chose this book due to the cover being pretty and I thought the plot of the book seemed interesting. (Though, I received a book with an alternate cover and I did not remember the plot as it arrived.)

 Pretty cover though!

    As I settled with the book in chapters, I realized the plot of the book.
Peter Leigh is an English pastor who is sent galaxies away on a mission for God, while leaving his wife Beatrice at home. Though he struggles to fit in with the surroundings in Oasis, he gradually adapts to the warm climate and the substituted diet. He then encounters the Oasans and build a church to share the faith that has saved him. Throughout the novel, Peter and Beatrice send letters to each other. Over time as Peter expands his mission with the faithful Jesus Followers, his wife Beatrice starts losing faith as the distance between them has caused a rift. Peter realizes that, though the mission can be fulfilling, the loneliness in his heart from being apart from Beatrice can't be emphasized.

    Ok, honestly I did like the book. I liked how the Oasans were intrigued by the book of strange new things and Jesus and how they live was extraordinary. I liked seeing of how Peter was coping with the lifestyles and surrounding of the Oasans but, there were a number of things I questioned.

First of all, what exactly is the mission of USIC?

     I understand that USIC is the company that runs the program to Oasis and all that, but most of the people sent there are engineers. I understand that since the book is centered around Peter, we would see little glimpses of the other people. But, I do not understand what was the whole purpose of the mission in Oasis. If the USIC crew barely makes contact with the natives (except for preachers, translators) except to distribute meds. Otherwise, I assume that they are creating technologies. (Maybe I need to read this a second time.)

Second, I understand that terrible things that happen to Beatrice, but what does the worldly disasters have to do with it?

     Okay, I can partially explain this answer. When Peter left, Bea was somewhat optimistic at first hearing the stories of Peter. But, as she has to handle matters within the parish and friends, she starts becoming overwhelmed. I understand that throughout the book, England somehow manages to go through some economic crisis. But why? But that is not the question. I would assume the worldly disasters were created to portray empathy, but they really do not connect to the picture of Bea suffering at all. A question I would like to ask is how and why is England going through and economic crisis?

Third, what is the purpose of sending pastors if the USIC employees are not into faith? Were they sent for the Oasans? Also, what happened to Kurtzburg?

      I assume originally in the book's universe, pastors were originally for USIC employees until they decided to expand on the Oasans. The Oasans appear to be faithful and adapt quickly to the teachings of the scripture compared to the zombie-like personas of the USIC employees. Which I would assume changed the role of a pastor for USIC. Before Peter, there was a pastor named Kurtzburg. He disappeared before they recruited Peter from USIC. Though Tartaglione, the translator was found alive. It was never explained what happened to Kurtzburg. Did he get eaten by non-believing Oasans? Or did he just vanish into thin air? What was explained is that he got tired of the Oasans and their lifestyle, but it is never explained what happened to him.

     Overall, I did like the book. It had a surrealist escapism and irony. As the Oasis settlement develops more, Earth seems to downgrade and lose humanity. It also tests that if God exists, then why does he let horrible things happen to good people? Also, there is more that what meets the eye when understanding the Oasans and the USIC mission. For enjoyment and experience, I give the book 4 stars. General explanations on the plot mixed with prose, 3.5 stars.

Upcoming Reviews

Hi guise,
I have some good news. I will be reviewing a couple of books by the end of this month.  I borrowed some last month and probably will borrow more by the end of the week.

Yay! Book Reviews!

    Unlike last year, I won't accomplish reading 11 books. I'm right now taking a class. It's 50/50 that I will do well. But at least my reading slump is breaking for now. The books I will be review this month are:

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson.

 A book I can somewhat connect with.

     16-year old Ann Galardi has struggled with weight all her life. In 10 weeks, her aunt Jackie is getting married and she wants Ann to be her bridesmaid. Ann makes the decision to lose 45 pounds within that time. Can Ann reach her goal within those 10 weeks or gain more than she's lost?

Wither by Lauren De Stefano

Really pretty cover!

     Due to the advancements of science and modern medicine, children are born perfect except for a flaw. Females live until 20 and males live until 25. 16-year old Rhine Ellery is taken from her normal life in Manhattan and transported in Florida to serve as a sister wife and wife to Linden Ashby. Despite the luxuries and Linden's love for Rhine, all she wants to do is go back to Manhattan and find her twin brother Rowan. But Rhine has to deal with the mysteriousness of Linden's father Vaughn and the secrets that go within the household. Will Rhine lose herself to the surreal, trapped yet seeming perfect world of being a wife or will she escape to find her brother?

The Peculiar by Stephan Bachmann

I think this is a Steampunk book?

     Disappearances and murders disperse around England due to the occurrences of fae and other fantastical creatures. After a technological revolution, faery creatures are forced to live in slums and hide themselves. A strange woman enters the slums and young Bartholomew is curious about her presence, Unfortunately, he reveals himself breaking the rules. This leads into a conquest where Bartholomew meets mysterious people and befriends someone. 

Broken Piano for President by Patrick Wensink

 It has a very unorthodox plot.

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber

      Deshler Dean is known for creating amazing things while he's drunk. He's managed to create an addicting burger, achieved a six-figure deal for his crappy band, and started dating someone who he does not recognize. But he's managed to end up in a mess worse than the Allies taking on Germany. When rival burger chains fight for control for Dean's burger, it takes Dean and his band to save America from the corporate greed and win their hearts and stomachs.

First book sent to me to review! :D

      Peter, a man of faith is taken on a mission many miles away from his wife Bea.  Peter becomes enthralled by the mysteries of the environment, run by the company USIC.  His work brings him to the native population where they a battling dangerous illnesses but intrigued with the Bible or "the Book of Strange New Things". But his wife Bea falter with their faith as disasters come into play. While Peter is serving the need of his congregation under his strange employer, Bea is struggling to survive,

    These are the books I have read or will attempt to read this month. This list is tentative, so some will be reviewed while others will not be reviewed. It all depends on what I touch on first. I hope you guise enjoy the content I will try to provide this month.

XOXO,

Neko

Cruel Beauty Review

Hey Guise,
I'm sorry for not writing for a while. I've been to busy and preoccupied with life to write a review. Unfortunately, I have not read any books within the past two weeks. So....

I'm sooo uber sorry for not responding at all.

    Luckily for you guise, I have a review today. As far as you guise know, before Ash Wednesday, I bought three books. One of them was Cruel Beauty by Rosemund Hodge. I was interested in this book because many people in the Booktube community were getting the book and I was also drawn into the story line since it mentioned the key words assassin and Beauty and Beast. I was interested on how it was a twist on the fairy tale story of Beauty and the Beast. Though I have never read any other adaptations of Beauty and the Beast, I have read vast adaptations of fairy tales. (Mainly Cinderella because its my biased fairy tale out of fluffiness.) Since I like fairy tales, I was willing to give this a try. Walking into this book, I had high expectations.

Gorgeous cover. Pretty as a red rose.

      Before I review the book, here's the basic summary: Nyx Triskellion is a princess who's destiny is to save her country. After a her father's foolish deal with the Demon Lord before Nyx's birth, she was destined to marry him and kill him for her dead mother and her country. As she turns seventeen, she must leave all familiarity behind to marry the Demon Lord. Nyx resents her family for leaving her alone and hate herself for not escaping her faith. But her husband Ignifex is not what she expected. While attempting to defeat him, Nyx feels herself drawn closer to him. Even if she falls in love with her sworn enemy, she must choose between saving her kingdom or being with the man she loves.

   Alrighty, when looking at this book at first glance, it felt like reading Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard and other fantasy novels into a blender. Honestly, I'm not sure how optimistic I could be with this book. I usually try to find the positives in a book before negatives, but I really don't know what to say. First of all, Nyx is an aggravating, frustrating character. Her so-called "assassin" training for all her life was merely her sister giving her an untouched blade and the times her and her sister were playing with knives. She also failed to seduce her husband. (Correction, her seduction training seemed to be given in a mere day before her wedding.)

   Secondly, I did not understand the full situation with The Gentle Lord Ignifex and Shade, his shadow. I understand that they are two parts of a whole and serve a purpose, but I was not pleased with Nyx suddenly fall in love in one day and be in love with somebody else another day. Shade apparently loves Nyx, but brings her to a chamber that nearly kills her. Ignifex is the typical manipulative love interest, but suddenly becomes more sympathetic in the end. Since Ignifex had eight wives before Nyx, did the same thing happen as it did with Nyx or were they killed for some other particular reason.

  Third, besides her father's unwise decision and treating her as a mere pawn over a daughter annoyed me, the rest of the family is not so great. I feel like Nyx's aunt was giving advice that does not even work at all. I didn't understand Nyx's sister. Of course Nyx hates her due to the her staying and her constant happiness. It seemed as if she became another person from Nyx insulting her on the wedding day. I did not understand it at all. Then she's happy again after Nyx returns. Where is this story going?

I give up!

     Honestly, I wanted to like this book but I could not like it. I struggled with the first few chapters and rushed on the last few chapters. I felt like this concept could have been executed better but it was what it was. I hope this review does not influence your decision. If I didn't like this book, perhaps another person would like this book. I'm human anyways. 

Later guise,

Neko

Divergent Book Review

Hey guise,

Today's post is about Divergent by Veronica Ross. Yeah, I am aware that this is coming soon as a film. There was a whole entire explanation of how I am jumping on the bandwagon on the March TBRs. So...yeah.

 In Beatrice Prior's world, Chicago is a society is divided into five factions, Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Every year, 16 year olds must take an exam to figure out which faction will the devote the rest of their lives to. For Beatrice, the decision between staying with her family and being who she really is, she can't have both.

  As Beatrice takes the exam, it is concluded that her results are inconclusive. Beatrice attributes qualities for Erudite, Dauntless and Abnegation. When the day of the faction ceremony arrives, Beatrice makes a shocking decision that would change her life forever.

    Yeah, I know this is a short summary. Due to the events of the film coming out March 21, I will not be revealing anything else. I really liked this book. Honestly. As a person who's starting to delve into dystopian novels, I felt like it was great. It was very well explained and put into detail. I also was surprised with some of the twists that happen in the novel and the context of how some factions do not like each other. I liked how Tris was strong willed but was somewhat vulnerable. She would be the type of person I would like to have as a friend. I felt like I could connect to her compared to other female dystopian protagonists. I will probably jump into Insurgent as soon as my book ban ends.

   Til' later,
   Neko

Percy Jackson Overview and Other Stuff

Hi guise,

Today's blog is about the Percy Jackson series. I decided to take a swing at the series during my winter break from school after looking at the books curiously at Target and a suggestion from a friend. Before I read the series, I watched the first film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief on Cartoon Network. At the time, I thought the movie was awesome and I kinda forgot about it. After reading the book the film was based on and watching comparison videos, I realize that the film and the book are separate entities with a similar background.


    This is my was supposed to be my last post of February. But it's March now so....  I can't post much reviews because I do not have enough time to read the books I want. So yeah.....

Too stressed from school!

         Starting of with the series, I read The Lightning Thief.

First book in the series!

       This is the book that started it all. Where Percy finds out his origins and his destiny. 

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old with dyslexia, ADHD and a reputation of getting kicked out of every school he's attended. His life changes after he was attacked by his substitute math teacher in a field trip. He is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finds out his destiny as a demigod and the son of Poseidon. When Zeus' lightning bolt goes missing, Percy is blames as the lightning thief. With his friends Annabet

h and Grover, he goes on a journey to find the lightning bolt and clear his name.

     

  Next in the adventures of Percy Jackson

    

      Continuing the series, we now find Percy with a cyclops half-brother named Tyson. Grover is held captive by a cyclops in Florida and is trying to stall his "marriage" to the cyclops. Along with that, Thalia's tree on Half-Blood Hill is poisoned and Chiron is stripped from his position after being suspected. Clarisse from Ares Cabin is then sent to find the golden fleece to heal the tree. Percy, Annabeth and Tyson go on their own journey to save Grover and find the fleece to save Thalia's tree.

     

More Half-Bloods introduced. Yeah!

     Percy, Annabeth and the recovered Thalia go on a mission to lead half-blood siblings Bianca and Nico to Camp Half-Blood. While being attacked by a manticore, the goddess Artemis and her hunters come to save them. Things change as the hunters stay in Camp-Half Blood and Bianca joining them. Artemis suddenly goes missing, leading for Percy and his friends to find her since she is a crucial vote in the war against the titans. Along with that, Percy will have to solve a mystery of a rare monster Artemis was hunting that could possibly destroy Olympus.

    After the last events of the book, Percy is trying to have a normal high school life. As soon as he enters the school, he ends up in a fight with monster disguised cheerleaders in the band room. Having to flee, Percy takes refuge in Camp Half-Blood. Since the last events, Grover's searchers license is put into question after his meeting with Pan. He must find Pan within seven days to keep his license. Along with that, Annabeth has a desire to find Percy receives startling visions of Nico summoning spirits with McDonald's Happy Meals. 

The group must enter a labyrinth to stop Luke and Kronos. 

An epic finale to and epic series.

     A year after Percy's last battle with Kronos, he is enjoying his summer with his friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Percy is suddenly whisked back into Calf-Half Blood to face the battle and the prophecy surrounding him. Faced with Kronos taking over New York City and Olympus, Percy and his friends must find a way stop Kronos once and for all.


     Let me be clear, this review will be short. I somewhat forgot the ideals of why I like Percy Jackson since I have been busy with other things and life. I read the first four books within each other in January and waited a month to buy the final book. This books series reminded me of books from childhood. (Actually this should have been my childhood since I was in 5th grade when the first book came out.)

   The first book, The Lightning Thief was alright. Since I watched only the first film before reading that book, I couldn't connect to it well as I should have but, I still like this book. The second and third books, The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse, I generally liked better than the first book and felt even more of an urge to go into the series. The fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth was alright but I wasn't 100% fully into the book and the final book, The Last Olympian is my particular favorite out of the whole series. I could not put it down and everything that was building up in the whole entire series was answered at the end. I overall would give the overall book series a four out of five stars and perhaps relive the whole entire series again during summer vacation.

Til later,
Neko

March TBRS

Hi guise,
Today's post is a list of TBRS I will try to attempt in March. As of March 6, I will be on a book buying ban until Easter Sunday. (Rough 40 days and 40 nights without buying new books.) Since a couple of YA books are all being adapted into films, my TBR list will include Divergent by Veronica Roth and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

Finally jumping the bandwagon because of the film.

          I honestly could have read this series in high school. My high school library had every book in the whole entire series. Seriously, the world of YA was seriously a different place a few years ago. Because of the buzz on Twilight and Gossip Girl, most of the books I looked at in a bookstore were mainly between popularity and vampires such as: Blue Bloods, Vampire Kisses, The A-List, The Clique, Vampire Diaries and etc. Because of the buzz around vampires, I really refused to read anything with vampires with the exception of Vampire Kisses because I was drawn to it by it's manga.

     Now in today's world, I am trying Vampire Academy because I like the story. Lissa is a special vampire princess called Moroi with special powers. Rose is her best friend, protector and a Damphir. Two years ago, the both of them escaped their school, St. Vladimir's  Academy. Rose's job as Lissa's protector is to protect her from the Strigoi, a group of vampires who will do anything to get Lissa to be one of them. But inside the gates of St. Vladimir's danger lurks as the Strigoi are close and near.

Bandwagon again.

     This is the second book on my TBR list. Around March 14, it will be released. I bought it because I was intrigued by the story as well. I knew this kinda existed around the time in high school, but around that time, dystopian novels were starting to come out. My public library didn't have dystopian back then as they have now. 

   In Tris' world, Chicago is a society is divided into five factions, Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Every year, 16 year olds must take an exam to figure out which faction will the devote the rest of their lives to. For Tris, the decision between staying with her family and being who she really is, she can't have both. 

   I'm not going to put up the full summary for Divergent, due to the movie coming out and most people will be reading the book. Plus, I'm tired right now. I've been trying to finish this list as quick as possible, but was either tired or unmotivated. 

   Additionally, I bought The False Prince and The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen in Barnes and Noble and hauled Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and Visions in White by Nora Roberts in a local thrift shop. 

   Later,

   Neko

    

Last Post of February!

Hi guise,

     This an abruptly written post. I was going to write about the Percy Jackson series, but I ended up putting that post on hold due to laziness yesterday and an overwhelming migraine today. After the migraine stopped, I ventured out of my house and went shopping at Target. I know that I write about shopping at Target a lot since a Target opened near my house around October. There is another Target in the town where I live, but I can only take one bus there and it is a 20-30 minute ride. Plus, I have to shell out $5.00 going there and back compared to spending $2.50 on ride and a transfer on going there and going home. (#AsianFirstWorldProblems.) 

Ah sigh, the problems of a bargain hunter.

    Anyways, I shop at Target due to their lower prices on books compared retailers such as Barnes and Noble. (Cough, cough-Cress) Today I stopped by to buy books for the last time until Easter comes. Yeah, I'm Catholic and I still believe in giving up things for 40 days and 40 nights. If the snowy weather will not kill me by Tuesday, I will buy Cruel Beauty by Rosemund Podge with either Control by Lydia Kang or Tsarina by J Nelle Patrick. After Ash Wednesday hits, I will be forced to read books from my bookshelf that are unread, the new books I bought today and books I received for my birthday. My only way to buy new books is to buy from a thrift store because it will cost less than $5 and the money will go back to charity. Plus, I'm curious about how much money will be in my wallet by the 3rd week of April.

Goodbye going to Target to buy more books!

     On the other hand, my school work is piling up. So I only have time to read two books a month rather than four. I wish I could pause my life and have hours to read, but life does not work that way. So, I will try my best to maintain this blog with my busy life. Moving on to what I bought today, I picked up three books from Target. Divergent by Veronica Roth, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. After going to Target, I went in to the nearest Stop and Shop and browsed their book section. Surprisingly, some books there are 25% off compared to Target's 15-20% off. I went into the bargain book bin and picked up My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher. I will write more on the full summaries of these books after I review them. (And yes, I am aware that Vampire Academy and Divergent are now in film form.) 

Until next time, 

Neko