Book catch up

Ok, i've read way too many books to review them all right now, so I am just going to list some of my favorites from the past few months.




Moonraker's Bride


Loved this book! I have to say that it had everything you want in a book: mystery, historical reference, a strong main character who works hard in difficult circumstances, intrigue, the weird family, the family you love with all of your heart, the embarrassing moments, and of course simple and perfect romance. I really just loved every bit of this book. And the ending was perfect. I just want to know the history of this book... like why it's out of print? anyone know the answer to this one? one of the best quotes - “When You don't know what to do, just do whatever comes next and go from there.” 




A Monster Calls


This is one of the most beautifully and uniquely written stories I've read in a long time. It's really hard to describe this one because it is so simple but at the same time it holds so much that it kind of overwhelms you. One reviewer said that this is not a happy story, but it is an important one and I really liked that. I think it really explains that life is not fair and that is okay. Sometimes things don't make sense and that's okay, as long as you understand and accept yourself. This review probably makes no sense at all, so I would just say read the book yourself. Love this quote- “You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.”




Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children


This one is... peculiar. It was one of those where I was constantly thinking, "Wow, I am really liking this! But I'm not sure why.." And trying to explain it to my husband just didn't do it justice, or really clear things up for why I liked it. One of the things I liked most about it definitely had to be the photography. It was so cool! And creepy.... And I have caught myself looking at the book at the store so i can get a better view of the photos because the kindle just doesn't cut it. The story was really interesting. A touch of time travel + love and devotion for a grandfather + weird bad guys and finding friends with peculiar traits definitely makes for a unique story. I liked it and am looking forward to the sequel in the distance somewhere. And the quote - “I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.”




Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet


This is one of those books that makes me think historical fiction is possibly my favorite genre. I love getting a great story as well as learning about the time period. I have never given much thought about how both the Japanese and the Chinese were affected in WWII with the internment camps. It was really interesting to see how even though everyone was "American," the Chinese people wore badges to say that they were Chinese, and not the "traitors" where even 2nd or 3rd generation Japanese families were taken. How American is that, right? In the midst of all of that, there is a very sweet and innocent love story between two friends. Of course people will compare this to another version of Romeo and Juliet, but this one has a much better ending. My favorite quote from this one- “The hardest choices in life aren't between what's right and what's wrong but between what's right and what's best.” 




Revolution


So this book has two parts - one set in modern time with a girl dealing with depression and life, the other part is about a girl dealing with the French Revolution. So first of all, I really just couldn't stand the main girl, Andi.  Maybe that is cold hearted, but I just couldn't relate to her at all and I just flat out didn't like her. However, I loved the French Revolution part. There are many stories out there about the French Revolution, and this was one view I had never seen before. The girl in the story takes care of the young prince until all she can do to show that she cares is set off fireworks while he dies in prison. Because of the connection between this historical character and Andi, Andi really became a much character in the end. This book shows true development of character and everything in this book had an amazing connection. There was some swearing and dumb parts but overall, I did like this book. And my favorite quote- "Oh, dead man, you're dead wrong," I tell him. "The world goes on stupid and brutal, but I do not. Can't you see? I do not."