Meagon

Warning: Not so much a review as a vomiting up of personal thoughts on the story so far. XD

Love, love, love, LOVE this series!! I honestly can't get enough. I'm so happy this goes on for ages. So much happens in this book, it's crazy. It gets tough to talk about it to other people. No one else I know reads this series, and any time I try to explain it to an outsider, their eyes glaze over and I feel like a droning History lecturer...

The amount of cultures fleshed out in this series is probably one of the things that blows my mind the most. I really love the individuality of the lands and how all the characters become kind of a big melting pot. The characters are maturing so fast, you often forget just how old they really are.

I really think Rand should just go after the Dark Lord. I don't understand all the hesitation. It seems to me that maybe the Dark Lord is lying in wait so he can gather strength. If they busted into his ‘prison', wherever that is, and attacked him before he's ready, they might have a chance. Prophecies that the majority of a cast of characters know about tend to be the ones in fantasy that are full of the most bs.

I do wish Robert Jordan wouldn't skip over certain bits...I REALLY wanted to be there for Lan and Nynaeve's wedding, if not for their wedding night. Mwahahahahaha!

I'm worried Mat and Tylin won't end up a thing... If the Daughter of the Nine Moons turns out to be a Seanchan, I'll be shocked as hell.

Still think Rand needs to put more trust in his friends, but his baby steps with Min are at least promising... I don't trust Cadsuane any further than I can throw her, but I feel Rand needs her around since I trust Min's visions.

I have a feeling the ‘man' in Shadar Logoth was the special Myrddraal, Shadar Haran, if not Logain (though why the latter would be there is anyone's guess) or one of the few remaining Forsaken. Either way, his helping of Rand against Sammael (also most likely alive) is suspicious. Lots of ‘why?'s throughout this book, especially at the end.

Robert Jordan's world building astounds me. He knows how to make it part of the story. You want to constantly learn MORE about EVERYTHING! This book was a LOT of world-building, especially at the beginning. The last 15 or so chapters is where most of the action really is. However, without the rest of it, none of what happens in those final chapters really makes sense or much of an impact. I didn't have as much free time to read this one as I would have liked, so I'm hoping I'll have more time to devote to the third installment!

If you love epic fantasy, do yourself a favor and READ THIS SERIES!!! I don't think I've ever loved a series more. Jordan's insight into people, not only as a culture but down to the individual, is uncanny. You believe every single person is real and truly motivated by their own desires, hang-ups, morals, and fears. It's truly an intense ride. If you like short, fast-paced books, this definitely isn't for you. But if you enjoy having intricate pictures painted in your head so that everything plays out like an exceedingly well-orchestrated movie, then this is definitely the series for you!

Side note:
Watching the characters grow and mature is probably one of the best/worst things about this series. It's nice to see the character arcs, but you feel so bad for the pain and betrayal they have to go to get there. Rand's trust issues still concern me, and I think they're only going to get worse... not that many people are doing the right thing to help with that....

Love it! Wonderfully paced, and the world-building is still so EPIC!!! The characters continue to grow and mature; new scars, both physical and emotional, abound. Jordan has a really great grasp of how men and women tend to think differently, and how that difference manifests itself in each culture. Pretty much ANY interaction between two characters with chemistry has a laugh-out-loud moment in it for me. I'm a sucker for vague romances that leave plenty to my overactive imagination. I'm so glad we got to see more of the world Jordan has set out to immerse us in. His ability to make you feel like YOU'RE the one trudging through mud in Tanchico or having your skin baked off in the Three-Fold Land, is truly a gift. I can't wait to see where this goes. I'm for sure absorbing MUCH more than I did on my first read-through; I feel like I can't rest til the whole epic series is under my belt!

A sad, but ultimately very accurate satirical portrayal of human society.

I enjoyed the humor throughout. Weisberger is certainly talented at telling a story. I care nothing for fashion or social drama and still found it to be a page-turner that I couldn't put down. For me it worked better as a film only because I lack the fashion knowledge to visualize most of the clothing talked about in the book. It's not my typical read, or I believe it would probably rate higher. Simply not the subject matter for me.

I'm so sad it's over! You know you've read an amazing book when your heart says, “Wait, what? That's it?!” It feels like Bryson borrowed a piece of my soul, took it to Australia with him, and forgot to bring it back. I feel like I've been there (I've never even been out of the States once in my sad life) and need to go back for a second trip NOW! His writing style kept me engaged and made me laugh out loud to the point of tearing up at times. There were even poignant moments, specifically about the forgotten Aborigines or the humble stromatolites, that had me tearing up for less humorous reasons. If you have even a passing fancy for ANYTHING Australia-related, PLEASE treat yourself to this read! A new best friend is waiting to show you a world you've never even dreamed of!

This one rivals Crossroads as my favorite of the series. I know I say they keep getting better, but I can't help it, it's totally true. I'm shocked how quickly I read through this. It's a bitter sweet feeling to know that now I will be starting the final book in my beloved series. I'm not sure how I am going to cope. The husband and close friends have been warned of the eventual fallout I'll go through.

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this. My heart hurt for the two characters but also I was happy for them and what little time they did have. It took some adjustment for me due to it being an affair, and I was a bit surprised how accepting I was of it. The quietness of the love is what I think did it for me. In a world where 99% of the romance books are just thinly veiled smut, it was refreshing.

I enjoyed the Harry Potter books enough to give them all four stars.

Except this one. I wanted to smack Potter in the face most of the way through this book. He was SO whiney! Ugh!

5 ⭐️s

I honestly loved this book. As a mom, I can say this played strongly on my fears of my child being stolen from me. I know I would go to hell and back to get him and keep him safe, but would I have the capabilities? I really loved the descriptive writing, the way Hill slowly builds up the suspense and makes the reader worry for the protagonists. I liked the characters, especially Lou. It got me in the feels a lot, especially in the end. I knew it couldn’t be a sunshine and rainbow ending, but still… 😢

I love this book SO much!! It's the 2nd book in Brin's Uplift series and I enjoyed it even more than the 1st, and I loved that one too! This story is set centuries later with an entirely different cast of characters. A spaceship with a crew of humans, dolphins and a chimp, stumbles upon a history altering find out in space. Now it finds itself the focus of countless dangerous galactic enemies. An epic science fiction adventure follows that had me turning page after page. The multiple POVs is done really well, especially with the different species. I look forward to the next in this trilogy.

Pretty bad, honestly. There's no real story... Cassia doesn't actually DO anything in the entire story, instead relying on the boys around her to handle things. There's a moment where all three of them are with her best girlfriend while the girl is having a panic attack. Cassia actually gets upset with them for not acting quickly enough when all she has to do is pull out her own Magical-Plot-Device-Pills and hand over a green one to one of her BEST FRIENDS to instantly calm her down. It's a trilogy, but I'm hitting the brakes hard here. Even teenager me wouldn't have been impressed with flat, robotic Cassia and her tepid love interests.

The perfect Springtime book, with lovely prose that truly encapsulates the feeling of seeing a garden burst out of the seemingly dead earth.

This wonderfully lovely book falls alongside other children's classics like “Anne of Green Gables” and “Chronicles of Narnia”. The magic in it is on the “Anne” scale, not so much the “Narnia” scale, but all three give me a similar warm, nostalgic feeling.

Loved the progression of the characters and the way the author understood the mindset and perspective of children in such a situation. Truly worthy of being called a classic!

Eerie how this felt like Prometheus was writing this in a future that completely correlates with current events...and it was written by Ayn Rand all the way back in the THIRTIES. It's been a slow, deliberate dive towards this type of censorship, hasn't it?

Individualism is something Western culture takes a fierce pride in. This book illustrates that philosophy quite well, but in very black and white terms. Although I did enjoy that Prometheus is completely fine with leaving the brothers that wish to remain ignorant, right where they are. Rand, despite her seemingly stark view on the matter of Individualism, at least allows that there is no pleasing everyone, and that you shouldn't be forced into a philosophy or culture.

Chapter 11 was quite a moment. It reminded me just slightly of how I felt realizing I was the “god” of my reality and then, an atheist. Individualism certainly took on a new meaning then, and I feel as though this book added another layer to that personal philosophy.

A very dark fantasy. It doesn't feel like a book on its own really. I can't help but quote Ron White: “I told you that story, so I could tell you this story.” It seems this entire novel is only a backstory for the MC so that we understand her motivations in later installments. I went in expecting something entirely different due to the cover art and blurb, but I still don't think it deserves the hate I've seen in many other reviews. The MC is not likeable, no one is, it reminded me of GoT in that way, but I'm still willing to invest time in the second book. If you could call Zarq a protagonist, I think she will make an interesting anti-hero. The world-building is interesting, but has holes in it and isn't always done smoothly. Too often the MC, who is narrating to the reader, will start an exposition sentence with “Understand,” and it can be jarring. I certainly didn't expect to come away with such an extensive knowledge of female circumcision after reading this, but I had questions that needed answers only some internet research could provide... Also, are the dragons sentient and able to give consent, or not? I'm still not 100% on that part... It's sort of a big deal...

I could not put this book down! I read it over the course of two days. Not sure what I can say about it that hasn't already been articulated in a much better way by much smarter people than I. Suffice it to say I thought it was an excellent study of human nature and what “evil” we all allow in ourselves and therefore, in our world. Burgess wrote using the Nadsat language in such a way that the story flows almost like a work by Shakespeare. Alex is a cruel, dangerous wretch, yet seeing him stripped of his choice, his humanity, turns him into a sympathetic character. Our failings as individuals add up to our failures as a society, which perpetuates the broken system and continuously churns out wicked monsters. Is removing the choice and turning us into mindless drones the path to good, or the path to an even greater evil?

It's been ages since I read this, but I remember being spellbound. The loneliness of Maggie really hit home with my younger self. I didn't get tossed round boarding schools or was sent to live with cold aunts, but I think every young teen goes through a bit of a lonely chunk growing up, no matter how many people are in their lives.

I loved the idea of Maggie having dolls that moved and spoke only for her. It was heartbreaking at times, imagining this little skin and bones girl crawling up into the attic to see her only true friends.

Beautifully written. The scene where she's riding to the house for the first time and gets sick; using her uncle's kerchief to wipe her mouth and not knowing what to do with it afterwards; I could imagine I was HER. The awkwardness of, do I hand it back? Do I hold it and let my hand stink of puke? Do I toss it out the window?

I recommend it for any young person (or anyone) that feels they're lost in a world that doesn't care to understand them.

I defy anyone to explain to me how this is science fiction OR a classic. Boring, rambling nonsense!

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. Piers Anthony has an uncanny talent for writing stories that I can never guess what the next twist is. Or if I can, I certainly don't anticipate the way that the twist happens.

The story is really about subverting assumptions. Many times something or someone would seem to be what they weren't. Whether it was a threat, ally, or even inanimate objects, things would change form or moral orientation at the drop of a hat.

The characters in Piers Anthony stories are always so memorable. They're colorful, fun to read, complex, and funny/hilarious. I'm looking forward to visiting Xanth many more times throughout the series.

I rarely say this but... I'd rather just watch the movie.

This story was a bit of a mess that I found hard to follow. Everything seemed to just be happening “because”. The story didn't flow well and I found myself hating every single character. The film has me empathizing with both androids and humans but this book had me hoping the whole planet would just implode. Only ranks two stars instead of one because of its cultural significance.

My first Simak. I enjoyed the writing and sped through the book. The ending was quite a letdown. I was especially annoyed with the blatant misunderstanding of evolution and how the entire narrative hinged on that misunderstanding. There were several loose ends that remained undone by the end as well. Still enjoyable enough for me to look forward to reading another by the author.

After my first Simak merely a week ago, I was nervous about how much I might like this one. I ADORE it! It's a library copy but I love it so much it's been added to my list of books to buy for my collection. Enoch is such a wonderful protagonist. Just enough of the old fashioned without being a patriarchal ass. His relationships with all the supporting characters were so lovely. I will absolutely be picking up more Simak in the future!

I never knew what this book was, but I am so glad I read it. It's a sixteen-year-old boy's existential crisis over the course of a weekend from the time he gets kicked out of another school, roams around New York, and then finally is drawn back home by the love of a sibling.

There were many things in this story that spoke to teenage me. Holden is like a male version of myself in more ways than one. Right down to trusting and getting the most sage advice from one of the worst people you ever met on the planet. Universal contradictions like that can really destroy a soul. Holden was in danger of having his crushed, but I'm an optimist when it comes to the ending. My sweet Holden, the only boy that truly GETS IT, will be just fine. What a great man you will become, you prince. ;-P

Like Holden, I can't really explain what I love so much about the story. It was more than the similarities. The prose of Salinger was quite beautiful to read. Holden's voice came through in a way that I haven't read in quite a while. This gray-haired child sat next to me and TOLD me this story, I didn't read it, there's just no way.

DNF. Stopped at pg. 114
I have three things to say:
Washi tape?!? Really?!?!
Footloose ties in...how..?
Oh...hello hypocrisy!