Book Review: A Taste for Red

I first heard about this book on a blog I regularly follow, Miss Print, and it sounded really good. However, when I read it myself, it turned out to be somewhat disappointing. (Sorry, Miss Print. Sorry, Mr. Harris.)

Svetlana is a really fun character to listen to-- smart-alecky and hilarious-- with a preference for eating only red foods, sleeping under her bed, and wearing black. Because of these things, she thinks she's a vampire. (I wish she'd turned out to be one in the book, instead of... what she did turn out to be.) I enjoyed the beginning of this book quite a bit. As it progressed, I felt that it wasn't living up to its inital promise and potential.

Overall, I thought the book had a good and unique idea, if perhaps a little short on plot towards the ending. It's not the worst-written book I've ever read, by far... but it's not really the best of the best, either. Instead of being a book I felt like I must add to my personal library (as I was hoping), it turned out to be one I can live without. (Worth checking out at the local library, though.)

That said, I will say this: This is Mr. Harris's first book, and I've seen FAR WORSE books by more experienced authors, and been left wondering why the publisher let it go through to the printing press. This is not one of those books, and I am eager to see what Mr. Harris will produce next. He has a unique, funny, attention-grabbing writing style that's sure to be appealing with young adults. It's not what I'd call a 'must-read,' but it is at least 'worth reading.'

Book Review: The Bourne Identity

I can't compare the book to the movie on this post, because (gulp) I haven't seen the movie. Yet. (Though I hear it's entirely different from the book.) This was my first time reading Robert Ludlum, and I really enjoyed The Bourne Identity. It was so full of twists, turns, action sequences, and complete surprises that I couldn't put it down. Who is Jason Bourne? The answer may kill him. I really can't write about my favorite parts-- it would ruin everything, and I won't spoil it for you (even if you've seen the movie and you think you know already). However, I will say this: this is probably one of the most exciting novels I've ever read, and I stayed up waaaay too late several nights trying to finish it...

Music Review: Skillet- Awake

I'm a brand-new fan of Skillet, and this CD might be the best thing I've ever listened to in my entire life. Full of catchy rock vibes and thought-provoking lyrics, Skillet's album Awake really caught my attention because nearly every song seemed to relate to me in some way or another. It's rare to find an entire album that feels... real... let alone one that has a good sound as well. Skillet has done an amazing job of both on this album!

For more information, visit the official website at www.skillet.com.

Book Review: Looking for Alaska

The only good thing I observed about this book was its format, which was unusually clever. Author John Green utilizes a unique "before-the-event/the event/after-the event" structure to tell the story of a group of teens, who they were before a life-changing event, and who they became afterwards. Unfortunately, the story is peppered with graphic sexual content, pornography, lewd references to both genders, smoking, drinking, cursing, and little to no consequences for poor actions made by the characters.

I'd previously read a short story by John Green in the book Let it Snow (book review coming in December), and had thought at the time that that particular story wasn't too bad overall. When I picked up Looking for Alaska randomly from a library shelf, I thought, "Oh yeah, John Green, this should be okay." However, I was extremely disappointed with my findings. First of all, the sexual content is far too graphic for Green's target audience (which, he writes, is high schoolers). I skipped over the worst parts, hoping that the story would manage to redeem itself in the end, but it didn't do that either. The event that becomes the turning point of the story is the death of a main character, and afterwards her friends are left wondering 1.) whether it was an accident or suicide, 2.) the meaning of life and why things like this happen, and 3.) whether there's any point to living life at all. The book then attempts to answer the meaning-of-life questions with a jumbled and unsatisfactory mix of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, which results in an overall feeling of hopelessness and drudgery. This is one of the few books I've read that I truly felt was a complete waste of time.

Book Review: Swords for Hire

If you enjoyed The Princess Bride (either movie or book version), you'll probably enjoy Swords for Hire. Written in equal parts sarcasm and humor, this book made me laugh quite a bit. It parodies your typical fantasy adventure-- dynamic sword-wielding duo rescues princess and overthrows bad guy-- so it isn't particularly original, but the material is familiar enough (and funny enough) that it's not really a disadvantage. Instead, it's more like seeing an old friend again. Overall, I thought that this was a book worth reading, and it made me wish that its author, Will Allen, was still alive. I'm sure he would have made a mint with books like this, and I wish there was more where this came from. (It was written in 1979 by Will Allen when he was twenty-two. He was terminally ill with melanoma.) The characters in the book are actually based on Will and his family members, and their portraits are on the cover!

If you can't find this book and think it sounds interesting, more information is avaliable here.

Book Review: Beauty

This version of Beauty and the Beast is possibly one of the best-written books I've ever read, as well as being a perennial favorite of mine. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast is a fresh, more detailed take on the classic story, full of vibrant color and rich descriptions.

Book Review: White Fang

While I enjoyed The Call of the Wild, I thought that White Fang was even better. (I haven't seen the movie, so I can't compare the two.) It's rather the opposite of The Call of the Wild: instead of a domestic dog becoming wild, White Fang is about a savage wolf from the Yukon who becomes a loyal and loving companion animal living in California.