Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for October 30, 2024

October 30, 2024 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Superstitions I Secretly Believe In or Find Fascinating

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1. George L Thomas  4. Stephen @ Reading Freely  
2. Greta Ham  5. M | RAIN CITY READS  
3. Lydia Schoch  6. Priscilla King  

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Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Freebie

October 29, 2024 By 44 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Free Witch Bats photo and pictureThis week’s theme is a Halloween Freebie, so I thought I’d go with one of my favorite scary (or not) topics: witches!

Some of my favorite witchy books I’ve read this past year or so:

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isbel Sterling – a fun mystery with lots of great characters.

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay – fantastic historical fiction set in New York in the late 1800’s.

The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz – a great story about a family of witches.  I really ought to finish this series eventually.

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts – my first Nora Roberts book!  It was an intense story about magic and love set in Ireland.

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox – one of the best books I read this year.  A haunting and intense gothic romance/horror.

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong – one of my favorite series, her Women of the Otherworld books touch on all sorts of paranormal, but the witch, Paige, is my favorite.

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre – a fun and enjoyable witchy romance.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – a super cute and heartwarming story about found family.

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling – I seem to be drawn in by witchy romances, as this is yet another.  Second chance romances are a favorite of mine, plus the magic only made it better.

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison – another favorite series of mine.  Rachel Morgan’s adventures in The Hollow are always fast paced and full of crazy.

What are your favorite Halloween themes?

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for October 23, 2024

October 23, 2024 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

What I do When I’m Bored

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1. Tanith Davenport  4. Lydia Schoch  
2. George L Thomas  5. Greta Ham  
3. Stephen @ Reading Freely  6. M | RAIN CITY READS  

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Movie Review: The Wild Robot

October 21, 2024 By 1 Comment

The Wild Robot by Writers Chris Sanders, Peter Brown
Director: Chris Sanders
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor
Publisher: Dreamworks Animation/Universal Pictures
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: “Best Movie” – 5 stars (10 stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Dicentra

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Based on Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, Chris Sanders’ movie version of the story (produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures) pulled my heartstrings in a way very few movies ever have, animated or not. I can’t even remember the last time I teared up in a theater prior to this movie. Lupita Nyong’o voices the titular robot, Roz, who must adapt to her new environment and complete her programming to ‘help with tasks’ after finding herself shipwrecked on an island.

The emotional connection in this movie is stunning. Roz is, understandably, viewed as an outsider by the other animals on the island. The main theme in this movie is the idea of family (and what that can look like), but it also touches on the ideas of belonging and community. Roz’s motley crew of fox Fink (Pedro Pascal) and orphan gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor) are an unlikely family, but I enjoyed seeing the growth that all three of them went through over the course of the movie. Sometimes there are tragic events in the past that can shape one’s trajectory, but they can also lead to beautiful results. I loved seeing all of the animals on the island, both predator and prey, coming together in a common goal towards the end of the movie. I also thought there were some super fun elements to balance out the deep emotional moments, like how Roz gradually learned the ‘language’ of the animals after her first attempts to communicate did not go as planned (in a very comical manner).

The storytelling was another highlight of the movie. The voices of many of the characters were familiar to me while watching, but I didn’t realize how star studded the cast was until I looked it up after leaving the theater. In addition to Nyong’o, Pascal, and Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy and Mark Hamill are some of the other big names that grace the screen. The animation style was excellent, there’s a lot of humor (both subtle and outright), and it never shied away from tackling the tough topics (while making it accessible to both children and adults).

Overall, an excellent movie and an excellent narrative. I’ve already bought the first book in the series that inspired the movie as a result of watching it, so I’m excited to read it. I would recommend this movie to children and adults of all ages, as I think there’s something that you can take away from it no matter your age.

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for October 16, 2024

October 16, 2024 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Something that Has Improved Since I was a Kid

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1. George L Thomas  4. Greta Ham  
2. Lydia Schoch  5. Priscilla King  
3. Stephen @ Reading Freely  6. M | RAIN CITY READS  

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Assigned to Read in School

October 15, 2024 By 52 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

These are some of the many books I read in school and what I thought of them. There are a few mild spoilers in this post, but I can only assume that all of you have either already read these old titles or don’t mind a few vague hints about their endings.

1.The Giver (The Giver, #1)by Lois Lowry

My Thoughts on It: Certain details about this society make no sense if you try to work out the logistics of them over multiple generations, but I found the rest of it thought provoking and loved it overall.

 

2. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

My Thoughts on It: This story was surprisingly relatable, especially since a few of my friends acted a lot like Ponyboy.

 

3.1984 by George Orwell

My Thoughts on It: What a frightening warning about totalitarianism. This was a great read.

 

4.The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

My Thoughts on It: I loved Anne and was heartbroken by the postscript that let readers know she died in a concentration camp. We’d read a fictional book in which a girl about her age survived it shortly before this one, so I assumed this nonfiction account would have a triumphant ending as well.

 

5. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

My Thoughts on It: Why didn’t they listen to the sensible adults around them? I liked this story but was so annoyed with Romeo and Juliet for rushing everything.

 

6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

My Thoughts on It: While I liked the story, I hated the ending. It was so dark and dreary.

 

7.Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

My Thoughts on It: I loved the first 90% of it, but the last 10% or so is the origin story for why I’m so hesitant to read books about beloved pets anymore unless I know for a fact that those pets are going to live happily ever after.

 

8.A Separate Peace by John Knowles

My Thoughts on It: The writing was beautiful, but I thought many of the characters needed to learn some basic manners and social skills as they clearly hadn’t been taught how to behave at home.  They were so unkind to each other! I faced enough bullying growing up that it was not something I usually wanted to read about in fiction, especially when the adults in the story often didn’t take it seriously.

 

9. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

My Thoughts on It: Living in a giant peach sounded terribly sticky and uncomfortable, but I loved the playfulness of this story.

 

10. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

My Thoughts on It: This is still one of my all-time favourite stories. I love the life lessons in it about never judging anyone based on physical appearance and how even small acts of kindness you don’t think anyone has noticed can still be repaid in unexpected ways.

 

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for October 9, 2024

October 9, 2024 By 1 Comment

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Something that Was Better When I was a Kid

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1. Lydia Schoch  4. Greta Ham  
2. George L Thomas  5. M | RAIN CITY READS  
3. Stephen @ Reading Freely  

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Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for October 2, 2024

October 2, 2024 By 2 Comments

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

A Genre I Want to Read More Of

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1. Stephen @ Reading Freely  6. Aymee  
2. Tanith Davenport  7. M | RAIN CITY READS  
3. George L Thomas  8. Greta Ham  
4. Kristin @ Lukten av trykksverte  9. Sandra's Book Club  
5. Lydia Schoch  

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Avoided Because of the Hype

October 1, 2024 By 42 Comments


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Here are ten books I avoided reading in large part because of how hyped up they were. Generally, I tend not to be a big fan of stories that are marketed as the next hot read, although of course there are always exceptions to that rule.

As I haven’t read them, it’s hard to speculate whether or not I would have liked them after all. I suspect that part of the prompt is easier to answers for participants who chose to talk about hyped books they did end up reading!

1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

2.When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

4. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

5. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

6. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

7. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

9.Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

10. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

How often does your taste in books match up with what everyone is talking about on Booktok or other similar bookish places online?

 

 

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September Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Grimwell by Michael Belanger

September 30, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Grimwell by Michael Belanger
Publisher: Woodhall Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Embark on an unforgettable journey into the enchanting realm of Grimwell, where books wield an unexpected power to shape destinies. Meet Derek Winnebaker, a spirited barista with a penchant for literature and a taste for strong coffee. When Derek stumbles upon a novel detailing the whimsical adventures of a fantasy creature known as a grimkin, he finds himself irresistibly drawn into its fantastical world.

Using the book as his guide, Derek bravely navigates through life’s twists and turns, transforming from a downtrodden bystander into a courageous protagonist. From mustering the courage to ask out his crush to standing up to his tyrannical boss, Derek’s journey mirrors the epic saga unfolding within the pages of his newfound literary companion. Yet, just as Derek begins to master his narrative, the whims of fate take a dark turn reminiscent of Kafka’s surreal tales, challenging Derek’s agency in his own story.

In this captivating blend of comedy, romance, and twisted fairy tale, Grimwell prompts readers to ponder the profound influence of literature on our lives. Will Derek seize control of his destiny, or will he remain ensnared in the machinations of an unseen narrator? Prepare to be enthralled and enlightened as Grimwell invites you to reconsider the power of storytelling and the choices that shape our realities.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

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