5 jingle bells
Published: October 16, 2018 by William Morrow
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
If I had to sum up this holiday read in 3 images:
Now I really want a hot chocolate!Read More »
Book Review: Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler
Tag: Book to Movie
Book Review: Lord of the Flies by William Golding #HSReadingRedo
2 disco balls
First published: September 17, 1954 by Faber & Faber
Category: Classics, Fiction, Young Adult
Lord of the Flies was Book 6 on my September Reading Challenge High School Reading Redo list. All I know is that after this one I am reading a book for leisure before I pick up another book from my “homework” reading list. I need a classics break!
The following 28 second video will tell you all you need to know about Lord of the Flies. Thank you, Running Out of Pages for reminding me of this scene, it perfectly summed up my reading experience.
Book Review: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller #HSReadingRedo
2.5 disco balls
First published: February 10, 1949 by Viking Press
Category: Classics, Play, Theatre
Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1949), New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play (1949)
Death of a Salesman was Book 5 on my September Reading Challenge High School Reading Redo list; I can say I’ve done my homework but that’s about all. Reading it certainly felt like homework.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee #HSReadingRedo
5 disco balls
First published: July 11, 1960 by J. B. Lippincott Co.
Category: Classics, Historical Fiction, Coming of age
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1961), Audie Award for Classic (2007), National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (1961), Alabama Author Award for Fiction (1961)
To Kill a Mockingbird was Book 4 on my September Reading Challenge High School Reading Redo list; I’ve reached the 50% mark!
How does one even review a book of this notoriety? In my honest opinion, you can’t: or I certainly can’t. All I can say is that I waited way too long to read this book. I think I took the easy way out in high school and watched the movie or read the Cliff Notes, but never dove right into this gem. Well, I can finally mark this Great American Read off my list! Phew.
Goodreads synopsis: 4.27 average rating
A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.
Instead of reviewing, I thought I would share some TKAM fun facts and the like. Read More »
Audiobook Review: To All the Boys I Loved Before (Book #1) by Jenny Han, narrated by Laura Knight Keating
5 disco balls
Published: April 16, 2014 by Recorded Books, Inc.
Narrated by: Laura Knight Keating
Length: 8 hours 22 minutes
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age
Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2016), Lincoln Award Nominee (2018), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2014)
Author Jenny Han is brilliant! She delivered a story reminiscent of Pretty in Pink. She’s the modern day John Hughes.
What a delight: a great read/listen for all ages. It made me want to relive my high school days and that is no small feat. Who wants to be a teenager again? Certainly not me; no way, no how. I don’t even want to remember the teenager I was – I like myself much more now – BUT, this book brought me back to that time and I can feel the butterflies in my stomach for youthful crushes as if it were yesterday. I found myself thinking who my fifteen year-old self would write letters to, and what I would have said. It would probably look a little like this: Read More »
Book Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
Let’s start with the movie trailer of this book to movie:
Wow, right? Wrong. Book lovers rarely say they love the movie more than the book, as there are always a bit of changes made. Let’s hope for this movie’s sake – which I have to see now – that they made lots and lots of changes.Read More »
Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
4.5 disco balls
Published: June 11, 2013 by Doubleday
Category: Fiction, Contemporary
This was a super fun read. It was like I was reading a soap opera versus watching one; with a plethora of characters who were just what the book described: crazy! Overbearing, meddling and judgy moms whose circles run the same.
My goodness the things some of these characters do just because of what everyone thinks, not what they want. You kind of feel bad for them, but at the same time lack empathy for them – as they are super rich – and would trade places with them any day (you think).Read More »
Saturday Spotlight: The Rainmaker by John Grisham
Introducing Saturday Nite Reader’s weekly meme: Saturday Spotlight! Each Saturday I will spotlight a book I have read or am currently reading; and, of course what I think is special about it. I invite you to participate as well! Just link back to my weekly post and don’t forget to add your spotlight link in the comment section for all to see. Happy Sharing! XO, Nikki
This Week:
The Rainmaker by John Grisham
Published: April 28, 1995 by Doubleday
Category: Fiction, Legal Thriller
New York Times Best Selling Author
I read The Rainmaker in HS for fun – this was not a normal activity. I could barely read my required English assignments, but for some reason I would visit my school library and select books that I thought were more worth my time. That is another story for another day, as I had quite the reading preference (i.e. Girl, Interrupted; She’s Come Undone, a Janis Joplin biography = teen angst down pat). I picked up The Rainmaker after reading A Time to Kill. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer: the kind of lawyer in both Grisham novels that would fight for the underdog – the less powerful – and obviously prevail in defeating “the big bad man” in the end every single time.Read More »
Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
If you do not own this book yet – go buy it. Like, NOW! You will want to own it and it will sit on the top shelf with all your other favorite books. And then go see the movie. You can thank me later. No really, you will.
Publish Date: April 7, 2015 by Balzer + Bray
Pre-order/Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT
William C. Morris Award Winner: Best Young Adult Debut of the Year * National Book Award Longlist
Audiobook Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
4 disco balls
Published: August 16, 2011 by Random House Audio
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BOTM $9.99 add on
Category: Science Fiction, YA, Fantasy, Dystopia
Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2012), ALA Alex Award (2012), Mary Shelley Award for Outstanding Fictional Work (2016)
Eureka! I finally found one: an audiobook that I loved. I mean what 80’s baby wouldn’t appreciate an audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton loaded with 80’s pop culture references to boot? Fun Fact: my favorite Wil Wheaton movie is Toy Soldiers.
I will admit that when I first read the synopsis of this book I didn’t think it was my jam. My best friend convinced me otherwise and boy was she right! I loved it! Like really loved it. I am not sure if I would have felt the same way reading the book versus listening; I think since I enjoyed the narration that I was more engaged. Either way I now can’t wait for the movie coming out in March.Read More »
Saturday Nite Reader 