The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Here’s why!

I was given this book in a book exchange and knew a movie had been made about it, but I wasn’t super drawn to watching it (Plus, I’m always an advocate for “reading before watching”). This book really took me by surprise, sucked me in, and I am better for reading it.

The Glass Castle is a memoir written by Jeannette Walls, the second of four children in the Walls family. Rex and Mary Walls, her parents, were a bit unconventional in the way they raised their children: constantly traveling, evading the authorities, and not being able to keep a steady income. Rex, a self-claimed entrepreneur/drunkard, and Mary, a want-to-be artist/”excitement addict”, taught their children from a young age how to be self-sufficient because they had to be. Their lack of parenting made the Walls’ children fend for themselves because they knew that if they didn’t take matters into their own hands, they wouldn’t make it, until they had the will to leave home.

***

This book was heart-wrenching. I was literally sucked in from the get-go. The way Rex and Mary handled certain situations where they should’ve been more responsible as parents, that they would rather feed their own habits rather than actually feed their children, killed me inside.

Jeannette tells her life story in such a way that it really begins to feel like fiction. I had to keep reminding myself that this is about a real family and real issues they dealt with. Although there were plenty of times I got so angry at Rex and Mary, there was still this amazing rosy lens that Jeannette sees parts of her childhood though, full of unconditional love and fiery dedication to her family unit, that makes you start to see some positives as well.

I am giving The Glass Castle 5 Stars because it was just that good. The writing style and the way Jeannette captures her family life and those involved really deserves to be read. In her dedication to her husband, Jeannette states, “To John, for convincing me that everyone who is interesting has a past”, and I have to agree with him whole-heartedly. Jeannette’s story is unlike any other I’ve read and I am so glad that I did.

Pick up your own copy today and prepare yourself for the crazy life of the Walls family and all the little ways you will be better for experiencing it.

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Nonfiction/Autobiography/Memoir/Biography

The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, Publication Order #4) by C.S. Lewis

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

Okay, I am over half-way through the Narnia series!!! I know it’s been taking me forever, but I have not given up!

The Silver Chair brings back a character we met last book, Eustace (the cousin) and a new character, Jill. When they arrive in Narnia, it is quite a few years later and Prince Caspian is a very old King of Narnia whose son, Prince Rillian, has gone missing. It’s up to Eustace, Jill, and a Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum, to follow Aslan’s four signs to rescue the Prince and bring him back to Narnia; however, the journey isn’t going to be an easy one.

***

I was wondering how Lewis was going to continue the series without the main children, but he has done a great job of introducing in new characters and bringing in at least one old character from a previous book to tie them all together. Having Eustace be the person to introduce Jill to Narnia went better than I expected. It was cool to see him step up as a main character, not just as a cousin-sidekick.

I honestly enjoyed the main plot of this series, especially a few of their “close calls” on the journey. Like most of the other books so far, the beginning was hard to get into, but once the main plot/climax occurs, the book was hard to put down! I am giving The Silver Chair 3 Stars because although it was pretty good and entertaining, I just liked the previous book better.

C.S. Lewis is really a mastermind, and I have enjoyed not just reading his fictional work, but picking up on his symbolism/literary devices throughout them.

Only three more adventures in the land of Narnia!!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Fiction/Classics/Children/Fantasy/Young Adult/Christian

Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity, and Tomfoolery by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

Goooooood Mythical Morning! Every day, except Sundays, Rhett and Link release a YouTube video to their channel “Good Mythical Morning”, the most-watched daily talk show on the Internet, where you can find them eating weird combinations of foods, making up their own trivia games, or giving reviews to different products. They are hilarious and entertaining, calling themselves “internetainers” and when I was able to get a copy of their book, I was so excited to dive in!

Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality covers a lot of different topics on how to add some more “Mythicality” to your life. Part autobiography, part interactive, this read gives some insight into their “mythical” world, where they got their start, and includes chapters like “Eat Something That Scares You”, “Make a Bold Hair Choice”, and “Speak at Your Own Funeral.” They even have a chapter with their wives’ input on how they were able to romance them in their dating years.

Friends since the first grade, Rhett and Link’s banter carries each chapter making it a fun, light-hearted read!

***

This book really was entertaining, but the reason I didn’t give it more than 3 Stars is because I know that it’s not necessarily a book for everyone. I found it interesting because I am familiar with the authors, their YouTube channel, and find them pretty hilarious!

The chapter themes and the way the book is written is pretty creative, which I give it props for. It became a book that I would read a chapter or two a night just to unwind, but I didn’t feel super connected/drawn to reading it like I would something that had a bit more of a linear storyline.

If you’ve never heard of this dynamic duo, go check them out on YouTube! Read this book! AND keep your eyes peeled for their NEW book that IS fiction called The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek coming out October 2019!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Nonfiction/Humor/Autobiography/Memoir

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

I. Love. Taylor. Jenkins. Reid. This was my March Book of the Month and as soon as I saw it was an option, no other book mattered. I fell in love with her writing last summer when I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so my hopes were high for her newest novel. Although she didn’t necessarily disappoint, I think Evelyn still has my heart. Sorry, Daisy.

Daisy Jones & The Six is a fictional novel about a famous band in the 70’s that broke up at the height of their career. But the question remains: Why? What happened? In this “never-before-seen” (well, read) interview with each of the members, we are able to get a glimpse into their world before their rise to fame, what all went down that summer they broke up, and what they are up to today.

***

One of the first things that drew me into this novel is the format in which it is written. It reminds me A LOT of plays I would read for my theatre classes in college: all dialogue with little to no descriptive paragraphs. I know I might be a rare breed, but this is my favorite! I’m more of a content instead of context girl, so I love chunks of dialogue, where sometimes descriptive paragraphs feel like it can slow down the flow of the storyline.

ANYWAY, TJR (Taylor Jenkins Reid) uses this format of interviews with different characters to tell the storyline and gives the needed context through each person’s perspective. Each character would chime in here and there, sharing their thoughts on a specific situation, which allowed the reader to get more than just a one-sided story. The characters themselves felt like real people, just like how Evelyn Hugo felt like a real movie star. By the end of the novel, I wished I could hear the songs the band had written so I could sing along and even get myself a band t-shirt!

I am giving Daisy Jones & The Six 4 Stars instead of 5 because although the concept is super interesting, the characters felt very real and relatable, and the writing style was so fun, it still fell a bit short for me comparatively to what I’ve read from TJR previously.

If you haven’t read either of the two TJR books I’m talking about, I definitely would recommend both! Pick up your copies today!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary/Romance/Music/Fiction

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

This is my second novel by this duo, and originally when I saw it as a Book of the Month option I did not go for it. I knew I wanted to read it, but I wasn’t immediately drawn in. I eventually gave in, though, and although I’m glad I read it, it didn’t blow me away.

An Anonymous Girl is about a psychological study in ethics and morality that takes place at a university in New York by a Dr. Shields. Jessica Farris, our main character, needs the money and decides to give it a try. Answer a few questions, collet her money, and be done. Little does she know just how in depth these questions/situations would go, leading her into a spider’s web of relationships and connections. Will she be able to free herself before there’s no turning back?

***

Like I said previously, this book was one I wasn’t super drawn to right away, but I also felt the need to read it since I had read Hendricks’ and Pekkanen’s first novel, The Wife Between Us, which I gave 4 Stars. I thought the premise did sound intriguing, and there definitely were some twists along the way, but the reason I’m giving An Anonymous Girl only 3 Stars is because when these twists did occur, I wasn’t that surprised. I mean, I probably could not have told you at the beginning what was going to happen, but as the book unfolded and I discovered more about the characters, whenever some new information was revealed my responses were like, “Oh okay, that makes sense,” instead of “WOW! WHAT?! NO WAY!” (which is my preferred response.)

Honestly, this book did have some good features and there really were some good plots twists, so I don’t want it to come across like I hated it because I didn’t. It just didn’t wow me. Would I still recommend it to people? Probably, but it depends on how many thrillers/suspense novels (and which ones) they have already read.

One thing I did enjoy was the ambiguity the authors created in Dr. Shields, the psychologist who conducts the study. The chapters go back and forth between Dr. Shields and Jessica, which was really fun and interesting. Being able to see situations from each perspective let the reader in on some background or “secret” information. Because of this, the reader was able to understand the motivation behind certain scenarios/actions, something that we don’t usually get a chance to experience since we usually only get one side of the story.

All in all, it was an entertaining read, but not one that blew me away. HOWEVER, don’t let my opinion sway you, check out An Anonymous Girl for yourself!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Fiction