The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Published by Harper Torch in 1988
Genre(s): Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Philosophy
Format: Kindle/Audiobook
Pages: 197

Goodreads synopsis: 

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

I really enjoyed this book. It was slow at times, but it was a quick enough and interesting read. It had a pleasant overarching theme of following your dreams and I enjoyed the positive tone of the story as the main character works so hard to do so throughout the book.

This is my sister's favorite book, which is why I decided that I should read it. I felt, at times, a little lost in why characters were making certain choices...as if it didn't align properly to who they had been shaped to be in my mind. But other than that, I felt that it was a unique and enjoyable tale of being true to oneself.

Rating:

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The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Published by Doubleday in Sep. 13, 2011
Genre(s): Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction
Format: Audiobook/Kindle
Pages: 400

Goodreads synopsis: 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
The premise of this novel is captivating, and definitely keeps you interested; however, the author incorporates tedious detail throughout the story, making for a very long read. The plot unfolds rather slowly, as well, threatening to be boring at times, but I never wanted to stop reading- I had to know what would happen next. Because of the intricate aforementioned details involved in the magic and fantasy of The Night Circus world, the events that occur are hard to understand at times. I found myself flipping back to earlier chapters to comprehend something being discussed pages later. Even at the end, I found the way things concluded to be complex and a bit far-fetched, even by magical standards.

There are a lot of story lines entwined within each other, and the organization of the novel was hard to follow at times, as well, as subsequent chapters often occur years before and after one another, rather than in chronological order. This definitely added to the suspense of the tale, but again, if you aren't mindful of the date of the chapter you are currently reading the entire time reading it, a lot of backflipping occurs, here, too.

If you like a story about magic, fantasy, and romance, and don't mind working a little to stay focused on the complex plot lines, you'll love it. Suspenseful and surprising at times, The Night Circus was definitely interesting and overall, an enjoyable read.

Rating:

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books
Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 59
Goodreads synopsis: 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander's classic compendium of magical creatures, has delighted generations of wizarding readers. With this beautiful, large-scale new edition illustrated in full color, Muggles too will have the chance to discover where the Runespoor lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why shiny objects should always be kept away from the Niffler.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief and J.K. Rowling's international charity, Lumos, which will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, one can only hope that passing wizards feel more charitable if they see you being attacked by a Manticore. 

Rating:

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A Dance With Dragons

So I haven't been able to post in awhile-- since baseball season began, I've been super busy balancing work, school preparations, and life in general!! In all of my downtime, I have either been binge watching Criminal Minds or reading the longest/best book I've ever read.......

Which brings me to a solo post for the April edition of This Month's Reads featuring A Dance with Dragons, (Game of Thrones Book 5).

A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martion
Published by Bantam on Oct. 29, 2013
Genre(s): Fiction, Fantasy, Epic
Format: Kindle
Pages: 1,125
Goodreads

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

George R.R. Martin does it again in the fifth installment of his cult classic hit, A Song of Ice and Fire, more popularly known as the original work for the HBO series A Game of Thrones. This book, even though it was released fifth in the series, picks up after the end of the third novel, A Storm of Swords. The plot in Dance occurs parallel to the fourth novel, A Feast for Crows, profiling the lives and happenings of separate characters than those followed in Book 4. It's difficult to recommend this book if you haven't read those in the series that proceed it, but let it be known that the twists and surprises that occur prior to the beginning of this book are nothing compared to what happens inside... ALSO.... I feel obliged to warn that only 3 episodes into the current season of the HBO show, I am completely and utterly deterred and can no longer consider the two of the same entity. Read these books. They are 500 x better. (Rumor has it, Martin will release the 6th book this Fall/Winter!!! Eeeek!!)

Rating:

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World Book Day: March 5 2015 {NRM Pt. 2}

Of course, I'm late to the World Book Day party in terms of posting, but don't worry at all- I was sure to celebrate the beautiful Thursday by listening to my audiobook while I drove around running errands, reading while I was relaxing before and after work, & I even finished a much anticipated novel: the fourth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Feast for Crows. (That's HBO's Game of Thrones, y'all, and it rocked.)

Since this month of March is so special in honoring books, (and let's be real, I'm not at all concerned about the fact that I am turning this life & style blog into a bookworm blog....sorry?), I am going to write about each book I'm reading as I finish them, rather than a tell-all post at the end of the month like in my This Month's Reads series. What the heck, maybe I'll still post at the end of the month, too!

So...first up:

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Feast for Crows

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Feast For Crows by George R. R. Martin
Published by Bantam on Oct. 17, 2005
Genre(s): Fantasy,Fiction, Epic
Format: Kindle
Pages: 1,061
Goodreads

With A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth volume of the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and stands as a modern masterpiece in the making.

After centuries of bitter strife, the seven powers dividing the land have beaten one another into an uneasy truce. But it's not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters of the Seven Kingdoms gather. Now, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges of the terrible times ahead. Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

Truly, there is a LOT to be said about this book....IF you've read the first three. But unfortunately, if you haven't, you wouldn't really be too interested in the crazy twists and turns Martin brings forth in this novel. What I will say (both for those of you yet to reach this book/following along with the HBO series) is that things get real in Feast. Martin's Ice and Fire books are known for the structure of character chapter viewpoints...meaning, each chapter is told from the title character's point-of-view. However, in this novel, Martin completely omits half of the series' characters (!!!), barely mentioning them, not writing in their point of view AT ALL. He writes this book focusing on characters in King's Landing, the Vale, Dorne, and Harrenhal. When the book ends, there is a note form the author begging you to relax and understand that the next book, A Dance with Dragons, Book 5, will follow all of the characters that were left out of Feast, occurring parallel in time. It's definitely making Dance an interesting read because I keep having to remind myself that certain things that I JUST read in Feast haven't actually happened, but it works because it allows for major events in each characters' stories to come full circle without the interruption of a split novel. I'm freakishly excited for the show to come back in April, where HBO will pick up with the start of Book 4, albeit in their own way with some changes.

Rating:

Five stars, no doubt, but you must read the first three. I promise they are worth the time and dedication it takes to immerse yourself in the world of Westeros!

Not four days later, I finished another book, so stay tuned for my review of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling, coming soon. xo

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