Amphibious Soul

By- Craig Foster

    I have recently decided that I need to read a better variety of books, I have decided to mix some non fiction books in. Whether they are biographies or others do not matter but maybe too much fiction is not always the best, sometimes you need to eat a salad. I found this book on the shelf at the library and saw a review at the top of the book by Sheley Van Pelt the author of Remarkable Bright Creatures, a book I absolutely loved. I figured if she like it than it may be a great book for me. 

    Non fiction books are so different than fiction, not only are they based on facts but the format is not always a story. I prefer them in a story format, but this author was a bit different. He shares a great many stories from his personal experience from visiting indigenous people, tracking land animals, and many stories from diving in water. He has a personal message and goal that he is sharing in this book and he breaks down the book into different messages and points he wants to make. He starts the book off sharing of an experience when he dove with friends and colleagues hoping to follow a crocodile into its water den or lair where it lives and eats. Photos and footage of this kind is extremely rare and very few have ever seen them. They are successful and follow a large crocodile into its under water lair. The book goes on in this fashion and shares amazing stories just like this while also sharing the authors perspective that we need to get in better touch with out wild side and be more in touch with our ancestors.    

    A very interesting read, the stories the author shares are truly incredible, he has lived an interesting and exciting life with experiences that we could only dream of. The author is very passionate about the environment and wild life, you can feel that passion in his writing and honestly it makes you want to go for a walk or swim with the hope that you could have some of these same experiences. I can agree with most of his points of view and the destruction of wildlife and nature by humanity, however I am not sure if I agree with us having to get in touch with our wild and untamed sides to fix the issue. Maybe I just missed what he was saying, the format of the book is a little different and at times it felt like he kept repeating himself. Regardless I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in wildlife specifically what he shares about from his diving experiences, they are remarkable and unique. 

Shawshank Redemption

 

By- Stephen King 

    I was scrolling through an article for books to read for the Halloween season and there were a bunch written by Stephen King, of course, which gave me the idea to scroll through books he has written. I have only read one, Misery, and was thinking I should read more. While scrolling, on my phone, a list of all his books I saw this book, I am quite familiar with the movie but had no idea it was actually a book. Needless to say I had to read it and see if it is anything like the book, so I found it in my local library and read it, I was not disappointed. 

    The book is very much like the movie, it starts with the narrator Red telling the story of how he got imprisoned, cutting the brakes on his wife's car killing her, her friend and child. The narrator expresses that he is not sure if he is rehabilitated or even understands what that means but he does say that given the choice again he would not repeat the heinous crime. Red goes on to narrate the story of Andy Dufresne, whose wife was cheating on him with the local golf pro. He got drunk one night and stood outside the golf pro's house while his wife was in there with him, from his own story he had no plans to kill them. However the next day they were found murdered and blame was laid at his feet, the hearing did not go his way and honestly there was a lot of evidence against him and none was found that could absolve him of the murder. He was sentenced to life in prison at Shawshank the same prison as Red. He had a rough go at prison life, being attack by other inmates but never gives up always fighting back. While in prison Andy did a lot, you will have to read the book and find out the whole story, the legendary story of the prisoner from Shawshank.

    Like I said this book was written before the well known movie was ever made, and as far as I can tell the movie did a fabulous job keeping in line with the book. Sometimes when a movie is made they cut out sections or mix up important events to make a better movie, from my opinion I did not find any differences. The filmmakers did a really good job, but like usual I prefer the book and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it is not the usual Stephen King book, there is not a dark horror story but instead it is a story of hope and redemption. 

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

By- Django Wexler

    Once again I was on my weekly quest at the local library and checking out new books and just new to me books when I noticed this book with the  weird cover and ridiculous title. I read the reviews and the synopsis and I have never heard of a book like it and it just sounded hilarious so I checked it out and was not disappointed.

    The book starts in a the middle of Davi, the man character being tied up and getting tortured. She has a vulgar sense of humor and cultural references that make absolutely no sense to the other characters but as a reader I was cracking up. Davi is stuck in this medieval world filled with humans, orcs, wizards, and other species of non humans, she is currently the ruler of the Kingdom and trying to save it from the Dark Lord and her army of minions. Every time she dies she respawns at the beginning of her story and she has died over and over, always failing to save the Kingdom in the end and dying over and over has driven her a little insane. After once again being captured and tortured she has decided enough is enough, if she can not save the Kingdom from the Dark Lord she will become the Dark Lord herself and finally win. She kills herself and starts a new life with a new plan, she will not only join the winning side but she will lead it and take us on her journey. 

    Absolutely fantastic book, a combination of World of Warcraft, Deadpool, and Ready Player One. If books got rated based on content this novel would defiantly get rated R with mature scenes, language, gore, nudity, and sexual content. It only took me two days to read because the story and humor had me wanted to know what was coming next, and literally laughing out loud. I can not really think of anything wrong with the novel unless you say it is overly sexual and inappropriate, but honestly it fits the culture now and really gives a Deadpool feel and vibe. I highly recommend this book to adults over eighteen that do not shy away from adult content and are not easily offended, and want to know if choosing the bad side is the answer to Davi's problems. 

What Moves the Dead

By- T. Kingfisher

    This book is the first in the series by an author whose work I really enjoy, I previously read the second in the series without knowing it was part of a series. The second book is called What Feast At Night, and I thought it was a standalone book. After learning it was not I had to read the first, but my local library did not have it so they used their interlibrary system and they located the book several states away in Maine. I personally think there had to be a closer copy, it is not really a rare book. But my quest was successful and I was able to read the start of the series. 

    The main character is Easton, a sworn soldier, traveling to a friends manor, Madeline and Roderick Usher, who are brother and sister. Madeline is sick and her brother believes that she is dying, and after talking with her and seeing her Easton agrees with the statement. There is a doctor there named Denton, who is unsure of what is wrong with her but she is thin and seems to be wasting away. The entire property seems to be rotting with mold all throughout the manor, algae covering the pond, and mushrooms and fungus all over the countryside around the manor. Easton and the rest are doing their best to solve the mystery of her illness and try to save her however, there may be something more going on.

    I did not enjoy this book very much and it was surprising to me, I normally love the authors work. I think if I would have read this book first it would be better, however, the second book ruined some things for me. The author gives information and introduces characters as though it is the first time and I am already familiar with them, it effects how the story reads to me and takes something away from my read. I do not think it is a bad book, it is a dark fairytale story written by a great author. If you are familiar with the authors work than I highly recommend it, or if you are looking for a dark fairy tale that is a shorter novel this book is for you. 

Heavenbreaker

By- Sara Wolf

    I was on vacation with my family in Delaware, there is a local bookstore near the boardwalk I love. I do not always buy something. Sometimes I just browse to get ideas for books to read, however, this particular visit I was going to buy something, I just did not know what. As soon as I walked in there was a table with new releases and this book instantly caught my attention. I had never heard of it or read anything about it. They say to not judge a book by its cover but I sure did buy it because of the cover and painted edges, an absolutely beautiful book. I did not even read what the book was about I just knew I wanted it and I was not disappointed. 

   The main character is Synali, who is raised by her mother in the low class. Her birth father is a noble man and head of a major family, however she is an unrecognized bastard and stain on his name. They live on a space station far away from earth which has been destroyed, there are other stations however they are out of contact with them. The stations are all that's left after being at war with an alien species. At the start of the story Synali has survived an assassin that killed her mother and tried to kill her. Her father sent the assassin to dispose of her and her mother to clear his name as he ran for higher status and office. After her mothers death her only purpose in life is to kill her father and destroy his families honor and she will do whatever it takes. After killing her father she is going to end her own life by taking her fathers steed, a mechanical robot, and entering in a dangerous competition meant for only nobles. The competition is best described as mechanical robots performing jousting in space. Having no experience or training she expects to die, and hopes that when they find her body it will destroy her father's house's honor. Defying all odds and her own expectations she survives and is thrust into a new life with a partner, together they set out to completely destroy her fathers family. 

    This book was absolutely amazing, I found myself reading page after page wanting to see what happens next. The book is full of violence, drama, mystery, and forbidden love. I was surprised after reading the end has a cliffhanger setting it up for another book, I can not wait. There was not anything about the book that I disliked, although each chapter had a word and definition that I am assuming is an alien language, however there is no clear reason for it. Maybe it will be explained or in use in the following book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy or stories about finding revenge, I had no expectations when I read it but if I had, this novel would have blown them away. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By- Stephen Chbosky

    I watched the movie years ago and to be honest had no idea it was a book. Recently I became aware it was a book but have no idea how, and so I had to search out the book having no idea what to expect. I know the movie was great with a star studded cast of Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller, but you never know what to expect when comparing books and movies. 

    The book is written in a unique format, as letters from the main character Charlie to an unknown person. Charlie is dealing with the loss of his best friend Michael, who killed himself. Charlie is lost and it is evident in the letters that he is depressed and lonely, as he observes the people around him going through their lives. He is very perceptive and is drawn to two seniors Patrick and Sam at the local high school football game. He approaches them at the game and they befriend him and he folds into their social circle. Patrick is outgoing and boisterous and is openly gay in a secret relationship with Brad the starting quarterback. Sam is a pretty and smart girl that Charlie falls in love with, however, she tells him that they cannot be together and he needs to not think of her in that way. Charlie also is befriended by a teacher, Bill, who gives him books to read and assigns him essays for each book as extra credit. The letters go from the beginning of his freshman year until the end when his friends all leave for college. It follows his journey of dealing with his depression, his first girlfriend, and the relationships of his family. 

    A great book, well written by the author and written in the perspective of a smart, perceptive, and sad teenage boy. This book is truly written way ahead of its time, it was written in 1999 when life was very different when it came to the acceptance of the LGBTQ community and mental health in teens. There is also letters that the main character discusses using drugs and alcohol which while we do not want teens engaging in it is a reality that they experiment with them and the author does a great job not glorifying them but speaks about them knowing they are a part of the teenage experience.  In my opinion it has aged very well and is still relevant today. I highly recommend this book to any teens struggling, or even parents that are struggling to understand their own teenage children. 

The Familiar

By- Leigh Bardugo

    I have seen this book on different lists for new books for the fall and Halloween season. I never really read any synopsis or reviews on the book I just kept seeing it. The title made me think it had something to do with vampires or witches because I have heard of the term familiar in books and movies with those themes. However, I was mostly wrong but it was still a solid book.

    The story is based on the 16th century and the country of Spain. The church is hunting and persecuting women for witch craft whether they are witches or just independent free thinkers. The main character is Luzia, she is a young orphan who works as a scullery maid for a lower class family. A scullery maid is a lower class maid that does the crap work, her room is in the larder room in the families home. If she served a more wealthy family she may have a better life, unfortunately circumstances of her life do not allow that. She has magic abilities that she keeps hidden to prevent the church from finding her, she is also Jewish which is something else the church would persecute her for. Even though she is smart and powerful, she keeps her head down and plays dumb to not draw attention to herself. She keeps herself invisible to the world and out of the eyes of the church. However, one day she slips up after a loaf of bread is burned she fixes it with magic not knowing her employer already saw it burnt. After, finding the loaf unburnt her employer becomes suspicious of her and makes a plan to trick her into revealing herself and powers. Valentina is the woman who employs her, and she is ambitious to improve her own station and life, seeking a life with more luxury and power. She starts making Luzia perform at dinner, performing miracles for her guests. Rumors begin spreading as more and more people see her miracles and Luzia is thrust out into the open and must compete in a contest of others with abilities like herself. The winner will hopefully have the opportunity to serve the King of Spain. Every one is walking on a tight rope trying to win the contest while avoiding looking evil to the church. Will everyone's ambition destroy them or propel them into a life of power and luxury for the most powerful man in Spain?

    This book was not what I expected, but I enjoyed the novel. It was unique based in a time and place of history that I have not read much about. There are a lot of books based on the 16th century but I have not read many from Spain. The author does a great job building the different characters and showing each of their own struggles to gain more power and improve their station in life. In some books you read, you can feel the vibe of the book and know that it will end good or bad, but the author kept me guessing until the very end. My one complaint, if you would even call it that, the names were a little difficult to pronounce, even in my head. I do not have any background with Spanish which may have made it easier, however, I would not change it because it added to the authenticity of the story. Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in magic, strong female characters struggling in a world of powerful men, and a darker vibe perfect for the fall season.  

Just Add Water

 By- Katie Ledecky

    I do not always watch the Olympics but if I have the opportunity, I do what I can to watch the swimming. I am not much of a swimmer however, the USA swim team has been intriguing for the last several Olympics. Ever since Michael Phelps stepped on the blocks, but I have always been a bigger fan of Katie Ledecky. I was watching live for her very first swim in 2012 and the announcers were talking going on and on about the other swimmers and how excited they were to see which one wins. The announcers only vaguely mentioned her in the finals because of her age, but I asked myself, boy wouldn't that be something if she shocked the world and won. Needless to say I saw this book at my local book store and was going to purchase it if only I remembered my wallet. I returned a few weeks later and it was no longer on the shelf, so my search continued.  A few months later I found it at my local target and had to pick it up.

    The book is obviously about her life and aspects of her training and career that she wanted to share with the world. It is always interesting to read autobiographies, you never know what to expect. There is so much about famous and notable people that we do not know, as well as the stuff we do know. We get to hear their perspective of events and feelings straight from the horses mouth. In Katie's book we get to hear about her drive, even from a young age. We learn that not only did she want to beat everyone she raced but she always sought to improve and beat her own achievements. She also shares the relationships in her life that are important to her and the effect they had on her personally and the effect on her career. The relationships vary from family, friends, coaches, and teammates. We especially get a look at how she handled stress, victory, defeat, fame, and also how she handled the pandemic. 

    An absolutely fantastic book, you never know when you read autobiographies whether it is written by the actual person or a ghost writer. While I do not have proof, as I was reading it felt genuine, as though it was written by Katie, herself. Katie is a college educated and smart individual and it is definitely within her capabilities to write this book and the connection to her story was evident in the writing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Olympics, swimming, female athletes, or athletes in general. Even if you are not interested in any of those things you should still read about this remarkable woman.

The Stardust Grail

 

By- Yume Kitasei

  ⭐⭐⭐ / 5

     I found this book in the giveaways for the Goodreads app, I entered to win but like usually I did not win. Regardless, the cover intrigued me, the beautiful colors and what looks like an octopus in space had me interested. I do not recall finding an octopus in the novel, but it was still an interesting read. 

    The story starts on earth, I say it starts on earth because humanity can successfully interstellar travel. However, it is not by their own technology but from the technology from other alien species and civilizations. There are several aliens in the book from Frenro, Belzoar, Quietling, and more. They are very different from humans in culture, biology, and philosophically. The main character, Maya, was born on a settlement far from earth and raised in a way where she experienced other alien cultures. She is currently enrolled in  Princeton university and studying and working toward her PHD in comparative cultures. Before enrolling in her undergrad classes she travels the stars with her Frenro best friend Auncle. They traveled together stealing artifacts and selling them, all the while searching for the mysterious and legendary Grail. An object wanted by many civilizations, for the ability to create nodes. Nodes are by my understanding a doorway to other parts of the galaxy, created by the Frenro long ago. They no longer have the knowledge or ability to build these nodes and without them the galaxy cannot travel to each other they could be cut off from everyone. Maya has since left that life and is doing her best to be a good student and ignore the call of adventure. While going through a collection donated to the university, Maya discovered a rare and sought after journal of a great earth explorer and last known person to see the Grail. Auncle some how knows of her discovery and shows up for one last job, but the earth government also know and tries to recruit her to find the grail for them. Maya is conflicted but her loyalty and trust sit with Auncle, together they set off on an adventure.

    Overall, pretty good novel I rated it three out of five stars. I cannot figure out what was missing for me to make it a five out of five. The story is complex and unique, the author does a great job introducing us to alien cultures and gives us enough information without making the book overly long. The characters are developed as the story goes on with some humor mixed in that made me laugh out loud a couple of times. The beginning of the book sucked me in making me excited to turn the page and see what is happening next, but as I read the story lost momentum. I still wanted to know how it ends, the excitement and suspense was gone for me personally. I definitely recommend this book to fans of science fiction and space travel, it is worth the time to read. 

How to Read a Book

 

By- Monica Wood

    I found this book while browsing on the Goodreads app, I did not read anything more than the title and decided I was going to read it. However, reality had different plans for me because I did not see the book in person anywhere. It wasn't in any local bookstores, Walmart, Target, it was not even in my faithful library. I gave up looking and months later it showed up at the library, checked it out right away and it became the next book for me to read. I was surprised however, by the actual content of the novel, it was far from what I expected. 

    Harriet Larson is a retired teacher and widow, she runs a book club for inmates at the local women's prison. Harriet loves reading, however there is a certain way to read a book. She does her best to help these women on how to properly read a book, as well as find books that connect with these women stuck in prison. Violet Powell is a young woman in prison for driving drunk and causing an accident that killed a beloved teacher. Violet is getting out of prison and trying to find her way through the world after causing such a tragedy. Spending years imagining getting out of prison and what that would mean, do not prepare her for the actuality of reality. Frank Daigle is a retired machinist plagued by past, memories of his marriage and wife that he lost. He finds peace and purpose at the local bookstore doing maintenance and handywork, loved and admired by workers and patrons with his gentle demeaner and hard work ethic. Three separate lives all with their own struggles and stories have more in common than we know. 

    A wonderfully surprising book, the cover and title did not prepare me for what I was going to read. I believe it improved my reading experience, with every page I went with the characters and felt and saw things for the first time just as it would have happened for the main characters. I am not sure if I would have chosen to read the book if I knew what it was about, however, after reading the book I am really glad I did. The author does a great job building the characters, world build is not relevant because it is based on our own time and reality. The three main characters are beautifully written, so much so that I wish they were real. The author does a great job making us feel the complicated emotions of women in prison or recently released from prison. I highly recommend this book to everyone, there is something for everyone in this book, forgiveness, humor, pain, grief, and more. If I had to voice anything that might be a flaw it would be the book is relativity simple, the world is small and simple. However, I do not believe it takes away from the value of the book and I highly recommend to any reader.