Book Review 14: Void & Onix Bowl by Fernanda Liedo & Macarena Matrajt

I have read many cat stories... more than I can count. Short stories, YA novels, memoirs, and children's books. Most of which I have really enjoyed. But I have never read anything like this. 

Void and Onix Bowl is a story within a story. It follows a mommy cat telling a bedtime story to her three kittens. One of the kittens is especially curious, and as most cat people know, this is exactly how a real cat would act. It captures the playful nature of kittens really well, and simultaneously makes the story very heartwarming. The author did a good job of making it fun and enjoyable to read. 

Along with the descriptive storytelling, I really liked the vivid and colourful illustrations. This would be the perfect bedtime story for anyone who likes fantasy, fables and cats. Maybe I am a bit biased, but as a cat lover (and especially a black cat lover), I really enjoyed Void and Onix Bowl. I would give this book a 4/5. 

 

Book Review 13: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I read the original Hunger Games trilogy (for the first time) a few months ago. I wanted to read it in time for the new book's release. Although I was late to the Hunger Games craze, I was curious to read this one shortly after it was released. (Partially because I missed The Hunger Games hype, so wanted to be a part of it this time around.)

I didn't know what to expect since it already has so many mixed reviews. It seemed like not a lot of people were interested in hearing a story about President Snow, but much rather wanted to learn more about Haymitch. I also know a lot of people felt like the book was a way to sympathize with the villian. Nevertheless, I am always curious to know more about the villain's (tragic) backstory.

The first half of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes started off slow (another complaint people seemed to have). I feel like Collins started the story off slow to show Coriolanus' character development. It picked up and got a bit more fast paced halfway through. Not only did we learn about Coriolanus' adolescence, the book also gave insight to a few other significant aspects of The Hunger Games.

Unsurprisingly, the story ended on a high note. Whoever has read The Hunger Games trilogy already knows Snow's fate. I didn't love the first half of the book, but I started to like it when things got a little more interesting. I'm happy I read it and would give it a 4/5.

Considering this book contains a lot of violence and death, I am onto a much lighter book next!

President Snow

Book Review 12: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus had been on my TBR for quite some time. I found this copy at my local library book sale maybe about a year ago. I was a bit reluctant to start it since I'd heard so many mixed reviews. It seemed like people either loved it or hated it. I instantly fell in love with it. It was unlike any other book I'd ever read. It was enchanting, magical and electrifying. A part of me can't believe how many people didn't like it. That being said, I know many people thought it was slow and boring. Although the story does move a bit slow, that is what I loved most about it. It portrayed the character development so beautifully.

Fantasy is my favourite book genre but it does tend to be dark at times. That was another reason I wasn't sure if I wanted to start this book right now. Lately I've been trying to keep a balance between fantasy and light reads. But the author did such a great job of keeping the book fantastical and lighthearted.

Someone on Facebook described it as a book you want to just crawl inside and live in! That is the best way to describe it. It really captivated me and I think it is a book I would want to reread down the road. 5 stars!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Book Review 11: The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

*** This review contains minor spoilers***

I remember hearing about The Hunger Games books many years ago from a local librarian. There were a couple of librarians who knew me personally and knew my genres of choice when it came to reading. The last book (Mockingjay) was about the be released that year, so she suggested it was something I may enjoy. I had the books on my TBR for many years, until I finally decided to pick them up near the end of 2019. I was lucky to have found all three books in pretty good condition at my local library book sale. 

The book(s) were intriguing and hard to put down. However, by the time I reached the last few chapters of Mockingjay, it was when the world started dealing with the covid-19 pandemic. As much as I was still enjoying the story, I couldn't help but notice the parallels between this (dystopian) book and reality. People living in bunkers, secretly hoarding food, the government implementing food rationing, and one chapter even had them wearing masks as protection from a deadly gas. It made me feel a bit uneasy. Real life should not feel like a dystopian book/movie. Eventually, I pulled through and made it to the end.

Although I found the ending a bit anti-climactic, it was overall an enjoyable and entertaining read. I liked that the author portrayed the story through Katniss' eyes. It gave the story some heart. I would recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of YA books. Even though I was a bit late to the Hunger Games party, I finally made it! Better late than never! I would give this trilogy a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review 10: Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai

I received this advance copy of Escape from Aleppo from an online contact. Unfortunately, it didn't reach me in time to do the review before the book got released. It took me some time to get into it. The first few chapters didn't reel me in like I was expecting. However, once the story got interesting, I had a hard time putting it down. It follows Nadia on her journey through the war torn streets of Syria in search of her family. She makes unexpected friends (and enemies) along the way.

 

The story is full of love, friendship, sadness and mystery. N.H. Senzai plans to write future books in the same world. I am interested in checking those out as well, to find out what happens to all the characters in the book and how their fate plays out. Overall it is a heartwrenching tale about family. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

A Dog's Purpose Controversy

Unless you're living under a rock, you may have heard of the animal abuse video that has recently surfaced from the set of the movie "A Dog's Purpose." The video shows a dog handler forcing a German shepherd into a water rapid simulator (and the dog is clearly not having it.) The video is then edited to show the dog submerged under water and nearly drowning. 

For obvious reasons, this video upset a lot of people. Not only is the dog trainer forcing the dog to do something against his will. It's also ironic and very disturbing that this took place behind the scenes of a movie that celebrates a dog's love for his/her masters. Many people have decided to boycott the movie due to the circumstances of how the movie was filmed. 

I read the book a few months ago and was really looking forward to watching the movie. W. Bruce Cameron wrote a tear jerking novel with such great delivery. It's really unfortunate that the actions of an unprofessional dog handler has tainted his beautiful story. Due to the controversy surrounding the movie, now the author is being shunned. Cameron released a statement on his official facebook page stating that he wasn't on set when this all went down. He's currently looking into the situation and investigating exactly what happened. 

For those people who've decided to boycott this film (and there's a lot of them), my personal recommendation would be to at least read the book. I understand the disturbing content in which the film was made, but please don't deprive yourself of this amazing book about love and friendship. It's written beautifully and with so much heart and soul. However, you may need to have a box of tissues nearby as I was completely red eyed and sobbing through out half of the book. Also keep in mind that it may give you some Marley and Me flashbacks. Nevertheless, the author shouldn't be blamed for the actions of an irresponsible animal handler. 

 

Book Club: Poetry Reading

I have been a part of various book clubs in the past and they all usually work the same way. The group all reads the same book and meet the following month to discuss that book. What we liked about it, what we didn't like about it, would we read something from that same author again, etc. The books read at book club are meant to start up a lot of discussion, so they tend to be books that make you feel. This upcoming meeting in February, my (current) book club is doing something a little different. Instead of reading a book, every book club member will be choosing a poem each and read it out loud to the rest of the group members. Each reading will be followed by a little explanation of why we chose that poem. 

Literature was always my favourite subject in school and I loved studying poetry. Back when I was a teenager, I used to write a lot of poems, short stories and journal entries in my free time. It is sad for me to admit that I haven't written a poem or a short story in years. However, I do occasionally still write in my journal. I was going through some of my old notebooks recently and found a collection of some of my writing. Some of them I had completely forgotten about, so it was nice to go back to them after all these years. Looking back at some of my old work, I feel like I may want to get back into writing poetry some time. Maybe one day when I am inspired, I will start again! One of my book club members suggested for me to bring one of my own poems to read for the next meeting. I was a bit hesitant at first to share my own work, but I decided to go with the one I liked the best...so here it is. Most of my writing is dated, and I wrote this one when I was sixteen.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Growing Up

by Sadaf Hussain

I am quiet,
I am lonely,
I have imaginary friends,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
As I look at my reflection,
In a mirror view of my past,
I let my inner-child free,
I come back to reality,
Today I am friendly,
I am loving,
I am caring,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
I am a writer,
I am a drawer,
I am a dreamer,
I am a friend,
I am a sister,
I am a daughter,
I am an aunt,
I am not perfect,
I make mistakes,
I am a learner,
After all,
I am human.

Book Review 8: Ms. Marvel (Crushed) by Willow Wilson

I have always enjoyed watching superhero movies and T.V. shows. However, I had never read any of the comic books until very recently. I used to read Archie comics and the Saturday morning comic strips in the newspaper, but that was as far as my interest in comic books went. Until the movies had been released, I didn't know which superhero was from D.C. Comics and which was from Marvel. 

A few months ago I decided, since I enjoy the movie/T.V. shows so much, I should go back to the original source and try reading the comic books, just for kicks. I picked up several different kinds from my local library; some I enjoyed, some not so much.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hold of Ms. Marvel. I had heard about (the new) Ms. Marvel when she was first introduced a couple of years ago. The new face of Ms. Marvel was Kamala Khan, a sixteen year old Muslim Pakistani superhero. I remember hearing both positive and negative reviews about Ms. Marvel at the time. Some people were excited to see that Marvel was coming out with more diverse and multicultural superheroes, some were outraged that the new Ms. Marvel was Muslim, and others (Muslims) were not satisfied with the way the comic book portrayed the average Muslim family. 

I sat down with the comic book, thinking I'll probably just read a few pages and then be on with my way. I was intrigued and found myself laughing out loud at a few parts. It was funny, relatable and exciting. I couldn't put it down, and before I knew it, I read the entire book in one sitting! The way Kamala's family was portrayed, everything Kamala was going through, I felt like I was reading about my own adolescent experience (as a Muslim). 

Wilson made it a point not to shove Kamala's religious beliefs down the readers' throat. It's very subtle and overall, Ms. Marvel is a story about a teenage girl like any other. She has her doubts, her fears and a loving family (who at times annoy her.) 

I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend the Ms. Marvel series to anyone who likes comic books. I intend to go back and read it starting from the first issue.

 

 

Happy Reading! =)

Reading Slump

Most of us have probably gone through reading slumps in our life time. On days that you've gotten too busy or those lazy days that you would rather binge-watch your favourite TV show, we've all been there. It's important not to feel guilty about it. Even though you may not be reading as much as you'd like, those books are not going anywhere. Once you find some free time and your TV shows are on summer break, you can always go back, pick up those books and start reading. Remember, there is no deadline when it comes to how many books you should be reading or how many pages you need to read a day.

I went through a bit of a reading slump recently where I wasn't able to read for a good month or two because I just didn't have the time. However, I've been able to pick myself up and start reading again! The wonderful thing about reading slumps is that it feels so good when you start reading again and have a hard time putting your book down! I've been reading most nights, and on days that I don't feel like reading: well it's okay! No book police will come breathe over my shoulder and tell me that I'm being bad! Hehe. =)

I also think it is important to remember that there is no race on how many books one can read. I follow many Instragammers who post like 7-8 books with captions that say things like "These are all the books I read all month!" Well good for them! However, there is no reason for me to feel bad. Everyone reads and enjoys books at their own pace. Some people may read a novel in one sitting, others may take a few weeks to finish, there's no shame in that. Reading should be a hobby, not an obligation. People should read because they want to not because they have to.

Happy Reading! =)

Book Review 7: "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter

The Warriors book series is written by Erin Hunter, which is actually a pseudonym used by six different authors. The series follows the lives of four cat clans. The cat clans include Thundeclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan and Windclan.

The first Warriors book (Into The Wild) starts off with Rusty, a beautiful ginger "kittypet" (housecat) who decides to leave his warm comfortable home to become a "warrior" (feral cat). Once he meets the rest of the warrior cats, adventure ensues.

When I told my husband about these books, he asked me if the cats fought with swords and weapons. Although the cats in the book(s) have been personified, they behave like regular cats. They are often described bathing, purring, growling, and hissing just like any other cat.

The terminology in the book can be quite amusing. They use words like "kittypet" to describe a housecat, "thunderpath" to describe the main road, and "monster" to describe the cars that drive through the "thunderpath."

Though these are children's books, don't be mistaken; they are not for the faint of heart. Due to the nature of feral cat colonies, these books are true to their behaviours and the cats can be very violent. The violence often leads to graphic and untimely deaths of some of the characters in the book. I shed a few tears for some of the cats who died.

The books were overall enjoyable, and I read most of book 6 (The Darkest Hour) in one sitting. It was really hard to put down and I wanted to see how the story played out. However, the story has way too many characters to follow. Since the cat's names are so unique, it can get very confusing at times, and it's hard to remember which cat belongs to which clan, or which kits (kittens) belong to which queen (mother). Furthermore, the cats' names change as they get higher up in the warrior hierarchy. For example, "Rusty" the kittypet becomes "Firepaw" the warrior, and he proceeds to become "Fireheart" and then "Firestar" as the story moves along. Another thing I didn't like about the series was that it ended really abruptly.

About 3/4 way into The Darkest Hour, the book takes an unexpected turn, which is why my eyes were glued to the book. The story doesn't end the way you'd think.

Despite it's downfalls, I would still recommend this series to anyone who loves cats and adventure. They are full of love, cuteness, betrayal and honour. If you are not a cat person, you can also try Erin Hunter's other book series' Seekers (which is about bears) or Survivors (which is about dogs.)

Please Note: The series I read is only the first series of Warriors books. They are followed by three more Warriors series', each consisting of six books.

Happy Reading! =)

Some of the many Warriors books. There are also standalone Warriors books, mangas and Warriors guides.

 

Firepaw is the protagonist in the series and definitely my favourire character. Graypaw is his best friend in the story and they have the cutest kitty bromance ever.

 

 

Quoted from book 2 (Forest of Secrets).

 

My own kittypets striking their Warrior pose! =)

 

 

From Twilight Fan Fiction to Fifty Shades of Shame

I am getting really tired of my twitter feed and youtube homepage throwing "50 Shades of Grey" in my face. I am extremely disgusted by this book/movie phenomenon. I have not read these books, nor do I have any interest in even coming within a mile of any of them. I don't understand why or how they suddenly became so popular. As far as I understand, it is a story about a young girl named Anastasia, an older man named Christian Grey, and a whole lot of pornographic content.

There have been many book/movie fandoms in the past decade or so which included Twilight, Divergent, and Hunger Games to name the few known ones. Although I have not read The Divergent or the Hunger Games series, I can understand their appeal. I, myself, am not interested in reading them because it's not a genre I normally read. I keep hearing mixed reviews about both series, and a few people have told me that the ending(s) to both books are disappointing. If I'm going to invest my time reading 3-4 books, then it better be worth it in the end.

I will admit, I did read the Twilight series (out of curiosity). I thought the series was overrated and I didn't enjoy them as much as I expected. First of all, the writing style was not for me. And second, I wanted Bella to marry Jacob, but she ended up marrying Edward instead. This conclusion to the Twilight saga was disappointing. I thought Bella made a bad life decision when she decided to become a vampire and leave her potential future behind. She was a really bad female role model. As if this wasn't bad enough, Twilight spawned Twilight fan fiction, which somehow became the book series "50 Shades of Grey" by E.L. James. The protagonist in this book was/is a far worse female role model than Bella Swan.

I don't understand why women are reading this "50 Shades of Grey" book series. I have read an excerpt or two and they are terribly written. More importantly, these books are doing nothing but glorifying a sexually abusive relationship, making women everywhere think that Christian Grey is the "man of their dreams." There is nothing romantic about this relationship, and Anastasia should not be seen as a good female role model. As an avid reader, I know these characters are fictional, but we really do end up getting attached to them. Sometimes it happens without us even realizing it. That's why I strongly encourage women everywhere to read books about female characters who are headstrong and know how to kick a little butt! Please do yourself a favour and choose class over trash.

New Books!

My online book order has arrived! They came a lot faster than I had anticipated. I placed my order last Friday, and they arrived yesterday (Friday); in exactly a week. I was under the impression that online orders take 3-6 weeks to reach their destination, so I was pleasantly surprised!

Here are the three new books I added to my home library collection.

The Enchanter Heir (book 4 from the Heir Chronicles), The Sorcerer Heir (book 5 from the Heir Chronicles), and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (book 7 from the Harry Potter series.)

My parents bought me the first 6 Harry Potter books many years ago, before the 7th and final book was released, but I never got around to buying book 7 until now. My Harry Potter series is finally complete! Although I've read these books before, I will definitely re-read them again one day. Now that Bloomsbury came out with these new covers, my Harry Potter book covers are all mismatched. But I still think it gives them character and I absolutely love all seven of them!

The Enchanter Heir and The Sorcerer Heir are the last two books in the Heir Chronicles series by Cinda Williams Chima. The First book by Chima I ever read was The Wizard Heir, which is actually book two in the Heir Chronicles, and then I proceeded to read The Warrior Heir (which is book one!) All was well though, because The Warrior Heir and The Wizard Heir are actually companion novels that follow completely different characters. The main characters and storylines from each of these books don't come together until The Dragon Heir (book 3.)

I don't have any of Cinda William Chima's other books, so now that my Harry Potter series is complete, my Heir Chronicles series is not! My next mission is to add The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir and The Dragon Heir to my book collection! I also want to buy The Seven Realms series, also by Cinda Williams Chima because I think her books are all brilliant, and love both series'!

Happy Reading! =)

Buying Books

Most of us readers know the struggle of buying books and never getting around to reading them because we keep borrowing books from the library and neglecting the books we own. OR, we buy more new books which just keep adding to our TBR pile. One of my good friends came up with a good solution for this dilemma: Alternate between reading a library book and an owned book. I just started doing this recently, and it seems as though my owned books are slowly making their way down my "books I've read" list. I bought the Chronicles of Narnia series a few years ago but never completed it. I just finished reading Prince Caspian last week, now I have three more Narnia books to go until I finish the series!

As if owning 20 unread books wasn't bad enough, I just bought a few new books last week! My friend (the same one who suggested the alternate reading pattern) sent me a Chapters Gift Card for my Birthday a couple of weeks ago, which I used to make an online purchase. My books should come any day now. I won't reveal what books I bought until they arrive in the mail.

Normally, I like buying used books for two reasons: brand new books can be expensive. If you are patient and look really hard, you can find used books at thrift shops and/or libraries for really good prices. The second reason is because I often buy them from libraries. I know libraries normally do book sale fundraisers to help with the cost of the library, and I absolutely love supporting my local libraries.

What kind of books do you usually buy? Do you buy brand new book, or used books? Do you prefer paperbacks, hardcovers, or e-books? Please share in the comments section below.

Happy Reading! =)

Incomplete Book Series: The Golden Cat

A few years back, I had splurged on some used books at my local library book sale. Many of these books have remained untouched over the years. I may have read one or two of them, nevertheless, there's still many unread books on my shelf.

In an attempt to read some of the books I own, I picked "The Golden Cat" by Gabriel King off my shelf as my next read. I kept thinking this lovely little gem was a standalone and was in the mood of reading something fun and easy. Nothing too dramatic, and I am definitely not in the mood for a tear jerker right now. To my surprise, it turns out The Golden Cat is book two in a series of four books. So I began going on a hunt to find Book 1 (The Wild Road) at my local libraries, to see if they have either physical or electronic copies. Unfortunately, living in a small city, with not too many libraries around, this book was nowhere to be found. Grrr.

I am still trying to find book 1 to the series (but am having no luck whatsoever.) One of the previous libraries I used to go to would do Interlibrary loans. If they did not have any copies of a book someone wanted, they would "borrow" it from another library within the province. If I get lucky, I may be able to find "The Wild Road." on an interlibrary loan. I love reading series' but I also hate the feeling of wanting to read a not-so-well-known series, because they are so much harder to find than the mainstream ones. Has this ever happened to you? Did you finally end up finding the book(s) you were looking for?

Finished my First "E-Book"

I finished reading The Gray Wolf Throne on my e-reader a couple of nights ago. I had a hard time putting it down. Cinda Williams Chima has that charm on me. I love all her books and love her writing style. I found myself staying up late at night, telling myself, "just one more chapter, then I'll go bed!" Raisa Ana Marianna (who is the protagonist in the story) always puts a smile on my face when she says something witty and makes everyone well aware that she can't be bullied into doing things she doesn't want. She's headstrong and stubborn and that quite often gets her into trouble with her enemies, and even within her Queendom.

The e-reader wasn't half as bad as I expected it to be. I still stand by my opinion that I prefer real books over e-books. However, since the book sucked me in to the story so well, I didn't even remember I was reading an electronic book half the time.

Now that I've completed book three, it's time to read the fourth and final chapter in the series, "The Crimson Crown." I can't wait to see how Chima ends the series, and am anticipating some untimely deaths along the way! (There were quite a few heartbreaking deaths in Chima's other book series, "The Heir Chronicles." *tear*). Keep your eyes open for a book review on this wonderful book series in the next few weeks!

Happy Reading! =) 
 

Liking my E-Reader more than I expected

I've been reading on my e-reader for the last couple of weeks now. I am firm in my belief that real books are way better. However, it's not as bad as I was expecting it to be. I am enjoying my book so much, that sometimes I even forget it's not a "book." I understand why so many people like e-readers. It's so convenient to have a thin device with endless books downloaded on to it, as opposed to carrying them all in your backpack. This convenience would be most applicable to students or people who travel a lot, I would imagine. Furthermore, maybe I am just old fashioned, but I love the feel of pages through my fingers, and an old book smell. There's just something magical and wonderful about it. The book I downloaded is The Gray Wolf Throne. I've previously taken this book out of the library a few times, but never ended up finishing it. It's book three of a series of four, so I can't wait to find out what happens!

What book are you currently reading?

Books Vs. E-Readers

So I finally caved in and got myself an e-reader. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Let me explain. Nothing beats the feeling of a real book; running your fingers through real pages, and reading a book with a real book smell. However, living in a small town, my public library does not have a lot of books available on loan. Although, they do have the ebook versions of some of those unavailable titles. Since there are a handful of books I want to read (which they don't have) the only choice I had was to take out an ebook! I have not started using my e-reader, so I can't say whether I like it or hate it yet. However, I have already downloaded some books that are waiting to be read!

What do you prefer? A physical book or an e-reader?