Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
When Sophia Amoruso was only 22, she created an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage. Little did she know that her hobby would continue to grow into a multi-million dollar business, and help her become the youngest member on the Forbes’ list of Richest Self-Made Women. Reflecting on her experiences, Sophia documented her journey to become the woman that she is today through the pages of #GIRLBOSS.
#GIRLBOSS is the ultimate bible you never knew you needed. That may seem strange to say considering recent events (Nasty Gal filing for bankruptcy), but don't let that discourage you from reading this. This book is utter perfection and is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2016. Sophia has beautifully crafted and cultivated a flawless and enjoyable guide into how to conquer your battles, handle setbacks and strive for success. It's raw, honest and genuine. She shares her experiences like an older sister would, reflecting on her fondest and most cringe-worthy memories, and the life lessons she learned from them. Speaking of life lessons, let's get started!
Aged 24, Matt Haig found himself feeling lost and hopeless, seeing no way he could go on living. Reason To Stay Alive is an account of that journey and how he overcome his struggle from the dark depths of his illness.
I remember stumbling across this book by accident through twitter. I had heard there would be a book signing with Matt Haig - and being an avid book signing attender I thought I'd go. Having the privilege of hearing Matt speak about his novel was pretty much what sold this book to me, and I'm so glad it did. Reasons to Stay Alive is an important non-fictional novel, that gives a preview into one individual's experience of depression and anxiety. To those who've suffered, it provides solace. To those who haven't experienced those troubles, it gives a glimpse into the hardships and struggles others face on a daily bases. I found this book re-enacts that heavy feeling of a weight you can not explain, and yet tells these stories with a hopeful twist for the future. Well worth reading, and definitely one of the must read novels for everybody this year!
Love Rosie is an enjoyable read, that definitely has some hilarious moments that will have you laughing so hard! But what struck me the most about this story is it tells the realistic struggle of adulthood. Not many romantic novels I've seen have done that pretty accurately. It's honest and authentic - well worth reading whatever age you may be. My only main flaw with this book was it dragged out its love story unnecessarily, draining out its quirky nature and narrative till it's very end.
Now, time for spoilers. Back away from the computer if you have not read this yet. Spoilers be waiting ...
Set in 1986, Eleanor and Park tells the story of two misfit teenagers, who find themselves falling in love with mix tapes, comic books and each other. As you may remember, I listed Eleanor and Park as one of my TBR books in Autumn - literally forever ago. I finally got round to finishing it after all this time. Yay me - getting through my TBR pile!
In this novel, Rainbow Rowell truly captures the essence of what it's like to be a teenager, awkwardly fumbling through life and its struggles. One of the things I liked about this book is that it isn't a polished version of reality. It discusses the hardships that both Eleanor and Park face in their everyday lives - without sugar-coating it. It's a story about personal struggles and what its like to fall in love for the first time, that readers of all ages can appreciate. Don't be fooled by it's synopsis either, this novel is not just about romance. That is literally just the surface of this book. I did have one main issue with this book - which I'll discuss down below in the spoilers ...
In this novel, Rainbow Rowell truly captures the essence of what it's like to be a teenager, awkwardly fumbling through life and its struggles. One of the things I liked about this book is that it isn't a polished version of reality. It discusses the hardships that both Eleanor and Park face in their everyday lives - without sugar-coating it. It's a story about personal struggles and what its like to fall in love for the first time, that readers of all ages can appreciate. Don't be fooled by it's synopsis either, this novel is not just about romance. That is literally just the surface of this book. I did have one main issue with this book - which I'll discuss down below in the spoilers ...
From it's original synopsis, I was expecting The Raven Boys to be a paranormal romance about a girl named Blue and her forbidden true love with a boy, who would die from her kiss. But that is not what this story is about. The Raven Boys is about how Blue's life gets turned upside down when she meets the infamous Raven Boys, who are on an adventure of their own.
I decided to pick this book up after a recommendation from a friend. I've heard some pretty incredible reviews of things from the online book community, so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. For majority of the novel, I found myself rather de-attached from the story. But once I reached the turning point of the novel half way through, I found myself feeling drawn into the mystery and suspense of the story. While The Raven Boys has some enjoyable moments, - I'm sorry to say fans of the book - I found myself far from impressed with it. This book did not live up to its hype at all, and was overall pretty disappointing.
I decided to pick this book up after a recommendation from a friend. I've heard some pretty incredible reviews of things from the online book community, so I decided to see what the fuss was all about. For majority of the novel, I found myself rather de-attached from the story. But once I reached the turning point of the novel half way through, I found myself feeling drawn into the mystery and suspense of the story. While The Raven Boys has some enjoyable moments, - I'm sorry to say fans of the book - I found myself far from impressed with it. This book did not live up to its hype at all, and was overall pretty disappointing.
Note: This review contains spoilers under the cut. You do not want to get spoiled. Trust me. |
If you are a fan of The Perks of being A Wallflower, and The Fault In Our Stars, then this book is perfect for you! It's crazy - I actually bought this book as an impulse buy, and I am so glad I did! It may sound crazy, but to me, I feel like this book came a pivotal moment of my life where I had been thinking a lot about life, the people in it, the future, the path I want to lead, the friendships I've had, and this book just addressed it all. In a sense it is literally about the beginning of everything, the world beyond your teen years and how your teenage experiences can shape you. It may seem like a cliché kind of story, a popular kid who falls into the lower heaps of the social chain and learns right from wrong, but this book isn't about that. It is all about the idea of self discovery - finding yourself through struggles, reinventing and defining yourself on your own terms. And that to me, is one of the most beautiful things in life, and this book just executed that perfectly. It is beautifully written, and certain aspects of the book are pretty thought provoking. They actually challenged my perspective on certain topics. There is something about coming of age stories that I love, and this one held a specific kind of charm for me. That being said ... it's not a book for everyone. I do highly recommend it - it has definitely become one of my favourite books of the coming year. For sure.
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