“A city in ruin.
A forest filled with secrets.
One girl with the power to change it all.Trapped in a mundane existence in the heart of a deadly forest, Ela often imagined what life must be like away from the trees. A world without rules and restrictions, with the freedom to do anything. She’d be safe from the ever-lurking threat of the Bowen Elders, the men who seemed so determined to hurt her best friend, Caden.”
This book is difficult to rate and difficult to describe too. Briefly, the author tells the story of the collapsing world of fantasy and Creation. Ara, a cursed goddess, also a character of a character’s novel Mirkwood. Yes one of the characters is a writer and Ara is in part of the story but she is more than that. Ara, being the Muse Goddess can influence other’s inspiration and act of creation. When a dragonslayer is killed in one of the book, revenge will get the best of her and turn her goodness into a dark fate. The writing is impeccable. You will find everything in this book : from philosophy and litterature to a math equation that can maybe quantify Creation. The author seemed to go over a thorough search in the Fantasy litterature mentioning some facts about JRR Tolkien’s life and work (BRAVO to these authors I love it when I see authors do their research :). JRR Tolkien is actually one of the main characters in the book. #INCEPTION. Continue reading
Brenna, a fifteen years old girl finds a fairly odd artifact in her attic and decided to use it for her school project. Unusual? Yes, but not useless. She will discover through that action how her world will be changed forever and that her family’s history laid beyond the surface of the Earth. Across the Atlantic Ocean, we will discover another universe with mermaids, selkies and mermen. Honestly, I didn’t know the existence of selkies before reading this. I had to google some pictures and damn, what a fascinating creature it is !
Have you ever wondered if there was anybody like you, sitting in a room, in front of a book, obsessing over some characters so much that you wish you could write a different story about them ? That’s the magic of fanfictions, that’s the magic of imagination. Fangirl is all about that: questioning the authenticity of fanfiction. I think we all need to sit down and realize how the world has changed, how information and stories are becoming more and more accessible, how there are different ways to express our creativity and how in all art, there’s an inspiration somewhere. You have to start somewhere. That’s why I am completely open about fanfiction being a genre and I strongly encourage it.
Awards are given for encouragements, accomplishments and recognition. They serve as a nifty way to keep people going forward and acknowledges a persons capabilities in doing something. They can be seen as goals or rewards. But they’re always bound to enlighten an individuals day. We usually tend to be on the other end of the award-giving event and never really realize the joy it procures in giving others a little something that they most likely didn’t expect. Blogging opened us to that world. Unexpected and truly touched by our first awards, we didn’t realize that giving shout outs and receiving them could feel so ecstatic. We’re always grateful and touched by all the awards that are thrown at us and we’ll never miss the chance to express our appreciation for them. The Blogger Recognition Award is not exception.
Hi my lovelies ❤ !
We are back again with another award ! We would like to give a big big big thank you to Monique for this nomination! Check out her blog, it’s so worth it :3. We don’t like spamming with award posts since we just did one recently, but this one was given to us last month so I think it is time to do it..ahhaha xD Since it’s a sisterhood award, I ( the girl in the couple), will be answering the questions 😉
Hello lovelies <3,
We were tagged by the wonderful Ashley to do the #bookcoverguessingchallenge. This might as well be our first post that isn’t a review or an award on our blog. It might come off silly, but this challenge basically asks you to pick pretty well-known novels that you have none to little knowledge about and try to guess what the story is about. Afterwards, you are to compare your description with the blurb of the novel on Goodreads. Fairly interesting challenge if you ask me. After all, aren’t we all a little guilty for judging some books by their covers? As long as a pretty book cover isn’t your only criteria for a must-read. :O So how about it? Let’s give this a go !
H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald
Trang: She thinks that the book might have something to do with a history teacher that’s insanely in love with animal predators, creatures of war. And one of those creatures is the one on the cover. This teacher, insane as he is, wants to become a hawk and so he studies and learns every strategy and technique these hawks use and use them for himself. That way, he can apply them to humans and dominate others. After all, hawks of like the meanest beasts out there when it comes to survival and attack.
Lashaan: I believe this book is about Falcone the Eagle. Falcone wants to become a hawk cause being the best eagle out there isn’t enough for him. He wants to see what hunting creatures through the eyes of a hawk is like. He then meets with Maroni the Hawk. The biggest, meanest, cruelest and oldest hawk out there. This hawk doesn’t age. This hawk is forever young, wild and free. It travels the world and doesn’t give two cents about other birds opinion. Falcone, seeing that Maroni isn’t the lifestyle for him, learns to avoid hawks and tries to find ways to make Maroni his prey. Only to get rid of such a lifestyle from his life.
Developing Minds : ★★★★½☆
First, let’s clear things up, this Stargaze Literary Prize Finalist is not a paranormal story. There’s no “physical” ghost involved. I should say that the ghost in the subtitle is a metaphor for all the things we cannot see, for what’s behind the curtains, hidden. The story is about Luke, and his new South Urban life as a new teacher at the George Washington middle school, an “F school” average in Miami. This novel follows his journey through frustrations, stresses, friendships, relationships and all the challenges that a teacher can encounter.
I must say that I was quite impressed with the book. The humor was quite well-done, I found myself laughing out loud and kept on telling my boyfriend : “LOL Read this !” Hahah True Story there, you can even ask him 😉 . Furthermore, there are a lot of interesting facts here and there, and I think that’s one of the things I liked the most about this book. It taught me a lot. Not only about the education system, the steps that a new teacher has to go through but also some did-you-know facts about history, culture and so much more.
In my books, there isn’t a more iconic quote than this. You come to realize that the strength of an idea surpasses the one of ten thousand men after going through this beautiful graphic novel. How do you kill an idea that travels faster than man? How do you kill an idea that you cannot hold in your hands? Ideas build the foundation of progress. Ideas help insure that we don’t repeat mistakes. Ideas are every humans sword and shield. The moment that an idea manages to create doubt to our reality and instigates rationality in a captured mind, a person becomes enlightened and sees new purposes, new beliefs. V for Vendetta was published through 1988 and 1989 and was written by Alan Moore along with illustrator David Lloyd. Not to mention additional art help by Steve Whitaker and Siobhan Dodds. This story follows V, an unbelievably charismatic anarchist who seeks to overthrow the fascist government that rules a future United Kingdom’s. Wearing the famous Guy Fawkes mask, he also vows to seek vengeance upon his once-were captors and goes on to teach Evey Hammond, his protégé, a lesson to remember.
We have all wondered what Big Brother was all about. What a government controlling and manipulating every single thing we do would look like; from going to work, to eating, to procreating, to breathing. Would it turn out to be something close to an army of ants? Obeying to one queen. Working like robots with a strict routine on a daily basis. Assuring the basic needs for the common and greater good. Famous author George Orwell brilliantly imagined a future that no man wishes to live in. Not only did he take on the burden of fancying a future completely plausible and at the same time dystopian, he also manages to create a tale that portrays an idea bigger than man. A timeless idea that even today we are able to pinpoint its fundamental premises throughout our current way of life. Written in 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) is a dystopian novel that follows the adventures of Winston Smith. Working for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One, he starts to question the totalitarian regime in which he is plunged in. Under constant surveillance thanks to telescreens and the Thought Police, Winston winds up falling in love with a woman who seems to go against the principles of the Party. He then sets sail on a journey where he gradually questions his life. Getting the reader’s to indulge a future where expression and freedom aren’t even luxuries but taboos, this novel grabs you by the throat and gets you analyzing one of the most feared regime’s a government could set in motion.
A Single Girl’s To-Do List ★★★½ ☆☆
If you want a good read, really easy and uplifting, this is the book for you ( Big shoutout to Anoya for giving me this book! 😉 ). I felt like sh**t after a moody day but when I picked up the book and start reading it, it made me feel a lot better. A typical girl read, with fun adventures, travels ( shoutout to all the Canada references ! Hahah ) and makeover! It’s a story about a 28 years old list-maniac girl who just being dumped by her boyfriend with whom she had a 5 years relationship. She’s never been single before, I mean not for a long time. She always had somebody to love. But this breakup is going to change everything. Friendship at his best , the writing is amusing, the characters are realistic, honest and I think any girl can relate somehow to this story. It also reminds us how goals are important and although a breakup does hurt very much, but after a few obstacles, you can still move on as an independant, happy woman.
Invisible Monsters : ★★★★★
I heard a lot about this book, especially as the one that Palahniuk’s editor didn’t want to publish because they find it too disturbing. The story is about a model who knew fame and glory until she’s been disfigured during a tragic accident. It follows her journey of being an invisible monster, so hideous that everyone prefers to ignore her existence. After reading it, I have to admit : this book is my favourite from Chuck Palahniuk. I’m a huge fan of his writing and PARTICULARLY his plot twisting.
“Off with their heads!” – The Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland : ★★★★★
Death couldn’t be portrayed anymore humorously than in this famous child’s tale. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, written in 1865 by the well known Lewis Carroll, tells the journey of a young girl through a magical world filled with animals with human characteristics, also know as anthropomorphic creatures. This novel might have been referenced in over a million different stories and movies for all the different themes that can be meticulously dug out. Personally, seeing different characters and references of this famous story in some Batman comics, I had to slow down, take some steps back and dive into Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece. And without the help of my girlfriend and her amazing copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, I was able to contemplate an awesome child’s tale. Huge thank you to the best of the best for this opportunity. You are definitely the best! Shall we begin?
Arguably one of the most essential Batman story in the comic world, Batman: Year One is a must-read. Fan of the dark knight or not, this story arc collecting all four comic issues (#404 to 407 published in 1987) from the comic series Batman tells the tale of Batman’s first attempt at wearing the dark cowl and cape. In fact, this trade paperback gives the readers the chance to live Gotham City through the eyes of Bruce Wayne (almost known as the man behind vigilante Batman) and James Gordon (Gotham City’s Police Department’s detective) as they seek their first baby steps in this city of corruption and evil.
Personally, I was astonished by the artwork that got me engaged and hooked into the story line (big kudos to David Mazzucchelli’s and Richmond Lewis’s talents). With just a basic color pallet and an artwork typical of newspaper comics, this piece of art sustains greatness throughout all four issues. I’d have to say that the transitions between panels (from one scene to another) were brilliantly done on both an artistic and a storytelling level. SPOILER HERE: Hover over text to read.
Batman: Year One is gold. It’s mind-baffling-awesomeness does not end there. I’d have to add that the story itself is as fine as wine and only gets better every re-reads. As godlike as Batman is portrayed in our modern society, this story arc shows you just why you always want a Batman in your neighborhood. Bruce Wayne doesn’t go through this adventure as the world’s greatest detective with no flaws. He has to learn the ropes and actually fails multiple times to Gotham’s wrath. He has to climb the ladders and find a way to show everyone he isn’t a villain among the criminals that inhabit the city. He might eat a bullet and still manage to kick down a wall, but even those moments seem completely realistic to the reader’s eyes. And that’s why Frank Miller’s work is praised so much. Although Batman might seem like the center of attention, James Gordon gets just as much attention or, might I add, even more throughout the story arc. In fact, Gordon arrives in Gotham City and has to climb his way to the top just as much as Batman has to, in order to survive and help his city. As a man who respects the law and follows a path exempt of corruption, Gordon has to face his partner detective Flass as well as commissioner Loeb who both take a much more particular path when it comes to justice… a more criminal touch to things. In the end, both Bruce Wayne and James Gordon fight the evil in Gotham, meet their first failures in their attempt to help and learn from their mistakes with open arms. After all, their journey only just begun.
If there was a common beginning to every comic reader’s legacy, I’d have to say that Batman: Year One is a beautiful place to start at. This flawless masterpiece (at least to my eyes) has one of the most interesting story line, a beautiful narration, an amazing artwork and a captivating and remarkable superhero to follow till the end of time. A very very very big thank you to my girlfriend for giving this trade paperback as a gift on my birthday! I couldn’t be any more grateful for this beautiful gift (among other books that she kindly gave me for my anniversary). She’s definitely the best! What are you waiting for? Go give Year One a try! You can buy yourself a copy of Batman: Year One
My overall rating: ★★★★★/
Lashaan
(c) Bookidote
Hi my lovelies!
Recently, I got the chance to go on a roadtrip and it’s not a short roadtrip.. it’s a very long roadtrip from 6 to 10 hours in a car. YES. I did it and I will do it again ahaha. In this journey, I’ve passed by New Brunswick and had the chance to read all the books that I didn’t have time to read. Starting off with two spinoff from the Harry Potter series (because I could not accept the fact that Harry Potter series is done ahahah #ohdeny) :
1.Fantastic Beasts and where to find them ( ★★★☆☆)
If you are a true fan of the Harry Potter world, you will love this book if no, it may seem a little bit boring. The function of this book is more of a Fantastic Beasts Dictionnary. It’s litterally like a manual, textbook. This is really useful if you want to look up a specific animal in the J.K Rowling’s fantastic world . I gave it a 3 stars because I love the aspect of feeling like a Hogwart student and learn about these beasts and their differences. Especially when you know the stories, what the characters have to go through. There’s also a comic side to this book with Harry Potter and his friends’ annotations. But the downside of this book is the fact that it’s getting boring if you read it all at once for it is not a story, I felt like reading a dictionnary for an hour straight ahhaha. If you’re interested, you can get Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by clicking on this hyperlink !
2. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (★★★★☆)
Since I was a child, I loved and believed in fairytales. I’ve always thought of them as some secret language , secret codes that only the most kind-hearted and pure-hearts can reach out the messages. J.K Rowling wrote an amazing book beyon the walls of Hogwarts and beyonnd the characters, she has built an entire universe including these tales. An essential part of every child’s life because every one was once a child, wizard or muggle. I believe that you would still enjoy these tales even when you’re 30 years old. You can also find The Tales of Beedle the Bard
A big THANK YOU to the sisters of Saint-Sacrement for their hospitality! 🙂
(c)Bookidote
Trang
