:chart_with_upwards_trend: Stats

Books: 6 Graphic Novels: 4 Total: 10

:green_book: Fiction:

 

 

 

The MurderBot Diaries: All Systems Red

 

  • ⭐⭐⭐
  • Jan 2023

I picked this book up because every time I entered a book store, the staff raved about it, saying it was one of the best sci-fi books they have ever read. The book was super short so I gave it a go. I appreciated how this book jumped right into it and didn’t spend chapters upon chapters world building like so many other books of the genre do. The author puts you right into the mind of murderbot and you really get to know the character and become attached with his relatability. The technology and action in this book was really cool, it painted a picture in my mind. The main issue I had was the plot was very unoriginal and the author kept leading on a twist that was anticlimactic. Overall, the character and world building showed great potential and the rest of the series shows great promise as I assume this popular author’s plot building becomes better through the series.

 

The Thursday Murder Club

 

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Feb 2023

Absolutely loved this book! I would put this book as the best so far, but I’m reading the sequel and it’s even better. Osman does an incredible job building hilarious and charming characters who constantly come out with witty jokes that embody the British and Irish humor. Osman does an excellent job writing from the perspective of older people and I feel like I have grown a better appreciate for elderly folks- he really makes them out to be their own unique people with aspirations and deep feelings. The TMC is essentially about a group of retirees in England who form a club to solve mysteries and befriend the town’s police officers to help them solve a town murder. My only gripe with this novel was the plot was a little dry, but the character building and the humor kept me glued to the page. This being Osman’s first book, I’m very excited for what else he has in store!

  _________  

The Man who died Twice

 

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Feb 2023
  • 💫 Best Book so Far

What a delivery from the first book! Osman continues to develop these characters in such a charming fashion that you can’t but help fall in love with them. On his sophomore novel, Osman’s plot writing has developed immensely, delivering a story with twists and turns. A must read series.

  _________  

:orange_book: Non-Fiction:

Tuesdays with Morrie

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Dec 2022 - Jan 2023

Tuesdays with Morrie is about someone who ‘sold out to the dream’ and has been left feeling empty, returning to learn from his dying professor how to live life. A must read non-fiction book that is chalk filled with quotes to reflect on, pointing you in the direction to lead a meaningful life. Must read.

  _________  

When Breathe Becomes Air

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Jan 2023

I’ll keep this short. A must read. A neurosurgeon learns he has cancer and documents his life’s journey and philosophies about the doctor-patient relationship and the meaning of death. The best writing I have read this year- absolutely incredible. My only issue was the author’s ego really shown through his writing, but nonetheless, such a meaningful piece of work. Should be read in English classes rather than some outdated ‘classics’.

  _________  

ADHD 2.0

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Jan 2023  

I found this book very useful. In a genre where many of these type of science-based self-help books are hard to read because of academic writing, this book uses language that is not only easy to understand but enjoyable, which I believe was the purpose. The authors, major researchers in the field of ADHD, were the first people to coin the term ADD and have made many strides in their field to help ADHD be understood as it is by the general population today. They have written eevrything out in a way where they show that ADHD is not something bad, but that the brain works in a different way and gives tips on how to work with your or your child’s ADHD. They also discuss VAST, ADHD symptoms that are induced by today’s dopamine seeking world. Overall, very helpful book and I have found some methods to help with understanding the way my brain is wired.

 

:books: Graphic Novels:

Invincible Vol. 4

  • ⭐⭐⭐
  • Feb 2023

I was a little disapointed when reading this. I watched the first season of this show in 2021 and absolute LOVED it. The animation was amazing, the story was so well done out, it was perfect and it left me wanting more. So I’ve been wanting to read the series for a while now so when I found this in the library, I had to pick it up. It takes place right after the TV show which I appreciated but one of the first things I noticed is that the art style isn’t the same which is understandable. This comic has a more griddy style while the show’s art style is a bit softer and the colors jump out at you more. The story was entertaining and it kept me turning the page but it lacked any central plot- it sort of felt like a TV show on Nickelodeon where each episode is self-contained. One thing I did appreciate was that the show changed a lot of the character’s races and personalities which I appreciated, definitely made the show more diverse. This volume did a good job character building and developing relationships so I’m definitely going to continue with the series but I was definitely underwhelmed which is why is received a lower score.

Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Mar 2023

Now this was a great read for comic book fans. Although I knew the plot of this series already because if its popularity and its animated movie, I was still pleasantly surprised with how well the story was drawn out. Reading this really felt like a movie and really felt true to the character of Batman. The gritty art style wasn’t my favorite but is expected of Batman comics. There was a scene in this book when you had to interact with the book physically in such a way that described the declining sanity of one of the characters which really took me aback- such an amazing way to represent the state of mind of a character and to interact with a book. I thought some characters were drawn pretty bland, every character was basically white with black hair, wish there was more diversity because everyone looked the same and it was hard to tell certain characters apart. This doesn’t get a 5 star because I feel that a 5 star review would mean that I would really push a friend who doesn’t read comic books to read it, but this comic was still a page turner!

Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Mar 2023

This improved so much on the first one. The art style in this one was way better (I actually took some pictures of some panes because some were so well done) and it actually addressed some of the issues that I had in the first one. This one was better than the first which was great but the villains get less scary because of the plot choice. Definitely see why this has been a popular Batman series. Only 4 stars because I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who doesn’t read comics.

Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Mar 2023
  • 💫 Best Graphic Novel so Far

Now this is a comic book I would recommend to a non-comic reader. Holy cow, this book is terrifying. There is some scenes in this book where my jaw dropped, it was such so cinematic. If even some elements of this were adopted to a movie, the world would be shocked. Joker is such a great villain and the writers do such a great job of playing with Joker and Batman’s relationship in this. Best graphic novel I have read thus far and a must read for anyone!

Invincible

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Mar 2023

This volume was SO MUCH better than the previous one, now I see why people loved this series. The character development is great. Great story, I’ve really gotten attached to the characters and learning where the story goes. Definitely a good read, I would recommend the series to anyone looking to get into comics.