Review: The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People

The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World's Happiest People by Meik Wiking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a charming little book! I read a lot of heavy spiritual books with the aim of learning how to lead a more fulfilling life and these tend to be dense and rich in material on the psyche. This was such a breath of fresh air! It was so refreshing to read about tangible ways of enhancing, not just my own quality of life, but the lives of those in my community. It's so simple!!

The writing is easy, and the facts serve to highlight, where too often statistics will overwhelm and detract from the message. This book uses evidence from studies all over the world, and even though it's inspired by the overall happiness of the Danish, it never comes across as snobbish. Rather, the intention here is simply to point out what works for different countries and social classes.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about people all over the world choosing happiness, and making small changes that have big positive effects. I loved that it suggested physical things that can be applied. I enjoyed the comparisons between cities and countries. It's just so beautifully positive!

Reading this book has made me want to go out and find little ways to do good that will bring happiness. The book's message is selfless and that's definitely rubbed off on me and inspired me to contribute more to society.

If you're someone who wants to contribute to your society, if you're depressed about the state of the world, if you feel like your life is missing something: this book is for you. And even if none of those is you, but you simply enjoy smiling? Read it. Highly recommend.

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Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a unique reading experience for me.

The writing jumps around haphazardly, repeats, skips, dances around, delivers.

The story, nestled in language, language used so cleverly as to make itself known by refusing the mundane.

Complete sentences few. Commas, so many commas, commas where you want semi-colons, as though the sentences are a runaway train and there's no time for semi-colons, only commas, it's the only pause that can be afforded.

The limited dialogue brings the story back to reality, and injects fear into it by creating a very real presence for the menace that is Mr Dark and his ominous carnival of terrors.

Two boys, Will and Jim, are caught up, haunted, chased by these bizarre characters that we never really understand yet absolutely appreciate.

The terror is subtle, tangled in description, insinuation, allusion, repetition. Personification. Similes and symbols that somehow still manage to come together and express the horror of the situation, causing some very real chills.

It was so beautifully written.

I thought I'd be lost by the language but here I am, unable to get its voice out of my head. Borrowing its patterns and thinking about the individual trees that created this forest of nightmares.

Meanwhile, this is one hella creepy story.

I'll be turning this one over in my head for a little while, I think. So brilliantly written, and so much better than I was expecting. The story great but the true genius here is the way the story is told.

Highly recommend.

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Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I completely understand the hype, even if this wasn't a 5-star for me.

The racial issue is powerful, particularly in such a time setting, when the N-word is thrown around haphazardly and it's totally acceptable to denigrate people simply because of the colour of their skin. Discrimination repulses me, and I feel physically ill reading accounts - even fictional ones - of despicable conduct towards those who are different. There are some pretty familiar characters here, but how many of these characters are familiar because they themselves influenced more modern work? It's no secret that this is a classic which has inspired millions of people around the world, so I can't complain about stereotypes as I'm sure this book was quite unique when released back in the 60s.

I was a bit confused about the unrelated stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The latter is clearly the Big Issue of this novel, but the first part of the novel barely touches on it, making for a rather confusing start to the book. I enjoyed the childhood exploits, and it was quite well-written, but at the same time it felt a little pointless. I can appreciate that there was a beautiful story told in Boo's regard, but it got a little tedious towards the end of Part One. (view spoiler)[ I also felt that his part at the end of the novel was a bit too easy. I get it, I understand that the author wanted to present ideas about the grey area of right and wrong, I can see how it evokes mixed feelings, but it just felt a little too convenient to me, and more of literary device than actual realistic plot development. (hide spoiler)]

The Robinson case broke my heart. (view spoiler)[Particularly knowing the outcome was inevitable, because what sort of powerful statement would this novel make if it had ended happily? (hide spoiler)] Just reading about the small-mindedness of others and knowing that, though the story is fictional, this is a real glimpse of human history - and that this kind of behaviour still exists today - truly saddens me. At the same time, it makes the character of Atticus that much more powerful, because he is a symbol of hope, and he is unrelenting.

There's not really much that I can say that's not already been said by appreciative readers all around the world. I enjoyed reading this novel, and it was an easier read than I anticipated, but there are some dark moments that will boil the blood of any decent human being. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'd want to read it again. Humankind really depresses me, sometimes.

It has got me pretty curious about the sequel, though.

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Review: The Rats

The Rats by James Herbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck, this was brutal.

Herbert's writing is brilliant, and the story launches straight into the action, with rats having their fill of human flesh in the first chapter. What follows is basically a near-200-page massacre.

The plot is so incredibly simple: mutant rats are attacking people and devouring them in horrific ways. There's nothing particularly smart about it, but what it lacks in intelligence it makes up for in graphic, gory detail.

I really enjoyed the way Herbert introduces characters, giving you a bit of their backstory so you get attached. He describes a clear picture of human behaviour, and covers all manner of human sins that seem to pale in comparison to the grisly horror of man-eating rats. It's quite interesting to consider how divided we can be as a whole society, considering we are all human, and this book explores that brilliantly by creating the 'us-vs-them' storyline. We see empathy and pity where there is usually none.

The rats themselves are absolutely horrifying, making for a perfect, relentless, collective villain. Particularly in those moments when one or two stop and stare menacingly. *shudders* Rats are, of course, right up there as one of the most repulsive creatures and this book easily draws on that natural revulsion and magnifies it.

The tension rarely eases, and even in the quiet moments you're expecting the worst. I liked that it took the time to create deeper characters, because it was a diversion from the carnage that still kept the interest up. Brilliantly written.

Side note though, and I'm blaming this one on its age: the book is incredibly sexist. If you're a raging feminist, this book is gonna make you mad with all the stereotypes.

If you're a bit squeamish, this is likely to give you nightmares, but I'd highly recommend to anyone who appreciates simple, gory horror.

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Review: Vardaesia

Vardaesia by Lynette Noni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'M DONE.

It's all over, and my heart is breaking.

I don't know what comes next in my life, now.

...

I mean, other than, like, a billion re-reads.



To be honest, I'm not sure I'm going to write a review for this one.

I don't know if I can.

I went into this knowing nothing but the same cliffhanger we all got with Graevale, and I want that experience to be the same for everyone else who reads this book.

I think if you've come this far, you've earned it.

So I'm not going to say anything about the plot. Or the characters. Or the moments I loved or loathed.

I will say that I loved this book.

I will say it was just as emotional as I expected it to be.

There were highs; there were lows.

I had to pause often because things were getting so intense.

This is a worthy conclusion to an absolutely incredible story, and it has firmly taken up residence in my heart. The world of Medora is so rich and thriving with colour and magic and so many incredible characters that I'm certain we'll have the chance to return there one day.

For now, though, I'm sad to say goodbye, but I'm so grateful for this book, and how everything played out. It felt ... right.

And I have so much love for these characters that even though I don't want to leave them, I think they have earned their rest.

***

Review for Akarnae (4★s) HERE
Review for Raelia (5★s) HERE
Review for Draekora (5★s) HERE
Review for Graevale (5★s) HERE
Review for We Three Heroes (4★s) HERE


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Review: We Three Heroes

We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Re-Read Feb 19**

Let me reaffirm my original statement that THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK.

Now, since I'm re-reading, let me go into a little more detail of each story as I finish them. You can read my original gushing a little further down.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the first four books in the series

FIRST UP!

Crowns & Curses
The book opens with DC at age 13, trying to deal with an episode of bullying that occurred five years earlier. I haven't hugely connected with DC over the series but this is the story that softened my heart towards her. She's actually such a strong character, and knowing this history tugs at the heart! Bullying is a widespread problem and this little story gives some insight into how to handle bullies, which is fantastic for a YA novel. Maxton is a turd who we can't help but hate, but even still there's allusion to the bad things he's been through that led him down that path, without taking away from the pain he's caused. Add to that guest appearances from some of our faves, and Alex's arrival from DCs point of view and we have a fantastic little story of how a princess became the BFF of our beloved heroine. It doesn't re-tell things we already know, but it does give us a different angle to view the story from.

NEXT UP:

Scars & Silence

Look, if you're not on board ship Jordix you may find yourself rolling your eyes a fair bit. But it's important to remember that this story is pretty much the reason this book exists, and it's a meaningful story.

This story runs parallel to the early events of Graevale, and explores how Jordan heals after his experiences at the end of Draekora. It deals with trauma, and even though no one can really relate to being mind-controlled by a Meyan, trauma is familiar enough a concept.

Trauma is ugly, and dealing with it is a process unique to each person. But this short story explores the depths of trauma, and how it can affect many aspects of a person's thoughts and behaviours. How Jordan deals with his experiences may or may not be relatable to other trauma survivors, but it does give insight and I think it sends a pretty important message about using pain to grow.

I love this story. It's still our favourite characters in a fictional, magical world, but there's a reality to Jordan's experiences and it's an important character development for the whole series. But it's not all dark and depressing - there's still some fantastic light-hearted moments and joking around to keep things balanced.

FINAL ACT:

Hearts & Headstones

Guh. As if our hearts weren't going to get hurt with a title like that!

Again, we're running parallel to Graevale, just a little further along. This one probably relates the most to the rest of the series, with things that happen in this story being likely to play a role in the final installment. At the same time, Bear's story looks more at the weight of protecting loved ones, and the lengths people will go to. This one has a strong family vibe, which is unsurprising since we've all grown to love the friendly Ronnigans over the course of the previous novels. Bear is dedicated to his friends, but he's also getting to know Declan a little better, so we can expect to see more of that blossoming relationship in Vardaesia, I imagine. It's nice to get further insight into who Bear is, as opposed to his inseparability from Jordan.

Some more heavy themes in this one but ultimately it feels more like a perfect setup for the final showdown.

So I guess this is it.

*deep breath*

Vardaesia, here I come.


**Original Review**

Let me delay my gushing over how much I love this series to say, THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK.

Fantasy stories always have bad things happening to good people. Death, torture, imprisonment ... our heroes all go through some pretty rough times.

What they rarely have is a full appreciation of the aftermath. Our heroes overcome all these things in maybe a page or two of feeling bad then deciding to get on with things. We rarely get the detailed psychological process that would be involved for us mortals in the Real World.

The four previous books in this series are told from Alex's POV, and her three friends play a major role, which means they all experience bad things. The three novellas in this book, told from the viewpoints of DC, Jordan and Bear, explore what it takes to recover from trauma, and just how complicated the process is. I'm sure there will be differing opinions as to how well it was done, but I think the important thing here is that it's actually spoken of.

Fantasy is such an escape, and I'm sure many of us have moments of wishing our life was like that of our heroes. Wanting to explore wonderful places, cast magic spells, meet supernatural (and often super hot) beings. So it is a breath of fresh air to believe that maybe our fantasy heroes experience similar pain and suffering that can be found in our own lives. That it takes work to overcome these things.

So that's my first big thumbs up for this book: thank you for talking about the seriousness of these things.

Now, please, allow me to gush.

I love this series. It's got such a good blend of fantasy setting with real world problems and characters. Alex has always been an endearing hero because she's not all, 'I must save the world and I am the only one who can'. She's sassy AF, loves her friends and is more like, 'aw man, why do I have to be the one to do it?' and 'well then I'm bringing all my friends and you can't stop me'. She appreciates the support she has around her. I love that.

DC, Jordan and Bear have been by her side through the past four books, experiencing a lot of the nasty stuff.

YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE SPOILER ZONE
The rest of this review may contain spoilers for the previous four books of the series

So the first novella is DC's. I gotta be honest - she has never really been my favourite character. I mean, she was kinda rude in the first book, and then kinda just meh because she's less sassy than everyone else. I liked her, but that was about it.

Crowns and Curses has given me newfound respect for her. It explores why she was such an ice queen when we met her in Akarnae and it actually made my heart hurt a little. Particularly when she met Jordan and Bear for the first time. <3 This novella takes a closer look at bullying, and it is really interesting to see the psychological impact of it. Really enjoyed it.

The second novella, Scars and Silence, is the most powerful, and looks at how Jordan is recovering after (I ALREADY WARNED YOU ABOUT SPOILERS) being Claimed by Aven then released by Alex. He bounces back pretty quick in Graevale so it was really great to read this more detailed account of what was actually going on in his head. There's some interesting stuff regarding his brother, too, and I really appreciated the way it was dealt with so open-mindedly. Plus Jordix for the win! They're so cute together! Bless.

The third story, Hearts and Headstones begins with familiar events from Graevale however we're given Bear's point of view so it's a different take. His story is more about the drama of its last few chapters, but it was still interesting to see the budding friendship between him and Declan. (I'm secretly hoping it doesn't turn into romance though because then everyone is coupled up and I hate it when that happens. I'm totally here for the bromance, though.)

Yeah, this whole book gave me another case of the feels.

Apparently there's stuff in this book that will be important for the next, but nothing felt hugely important to the story progression (except for maybe that lil scene with Marcus). This is more like going back and seeing how the pieces were picked up and put back together, so that we can appreciate the scars and the trauma everyone has overcome and become stronger from.

Devastating lack of Kaiden, though. I miss him.

Summary: Same lovable characters with greater depth, and Alex is barely in it at all so this is firmly a 'Sidekicks' story. It reflects on some serious issues that readers may actually experience themselves so it's quite an important addition to the series to show how these things can be overcome.

Like I wasn't already impatient enough for Vardaesia!

Review for Akarnae here
Review for Raelia here
Review for Draekora here
Review for Graevale here

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Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS FOUL, ANGRY LANGUAGE. (WITH S**RS)

I'm just

SO.

F**KING.

CONFUSED.

WHAT THE FLIPPIN' HECK DID I JUST READ.

Honestly.

Alternative titles:
One Hundred Years of Reading You'll Never Get Back
One Hundred Years of Your LIFE You'll Never Get Back
Four Hundred and Twenty Two Pages of Monotony
Fifty Thousand Mentions of Two Names
A Cure for Insomnia

F**K THAT.

This is like ... you know how there's those jokes that go on and on and on and ON only to deliver a punch line that is so bad and unworthy that you just roll your eyes and groan?? THIS IS THAT.

I can't even deal with the fact that there are people in the world who LOVE this book.

Basically, it's about generation after generation after generation of the same family who all share the same name and it is F**KING CONFUSING. I know that's intentional and symbolic but it doesn't make this any less of a chore to read . It's also just walls of text from start to finish that meander and bumble along making very little sense. There's no flow or logic and it's all clearly intentional but that really doesn't help its case in my mind.JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DULL AND MONOTONOUS DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO ENJOY READING THAT.

Add to that, the family is one heck of a f**ked up family and BATSH*T INSANE and it's JUST A MESS.

It practically begins with incest and keeps it up the whole way through; there's prostitution and murder and insanity and just basically everything that is wrong with the world can be found in this most disturbing book. 'Magical realism'?? I mean, what the f**k does that even mean?? How the ... f**king REALISM??? WTF???? And normally I don't mind a bit of f**ked up to keep things interesting but how can any book possibly include this much murder and depravity and STILL BE BORING??

Honestly, I feel like I need to Google to properly understand why so much depravity was included and why it's considered to be such genius, because sure, the ending is a little clever but it's certainly not enough to make up for wading through over 400 pages of this utter trash.

I just don't get it.

Clearly my IQ is too low for this "Masterpiece of Literature"; this book is officially the most overrated classic I've ever read in my life.

I hated it so much I tried to make it a group read so I could share the pain and torture XD I AM A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING.


Conclusion:
I did not like this book very much.

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