November 2018 Wrap Up
November has been a slow reading month for me because I got really sick at the beginning of the month for two weeks and it was so bad that I was always asleep because of my meds. After that I got so busy catching up with work and other things that I barely had time to read. But did manage to read 7 books; two are sent for reviews. I also read mostly classic books this month. I started reading Becoming by Michelle Obama but I am only a hundred pages in. So here are the books that I read:
1. Haunted Mansion by Joshua Williamson
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion - enter if you dare! You might think that no one lives in this elegant house on the hill...but then where's that creepy organ music coming from? Are its iron gates meant to keep people out...or keep something in? Get ready to meet the 999 spooks of the Haunted Mansion. But be warned, they're looking for the 1000th! Legendary ghouls like Madame Leota, the Hatbox ghost, Constance the Bride and the Hitchhiking Ghosts lie in wait and could appear at any moment. But poor Danny is trapped inside and just wants to escape the foreboding abode - is there anyone he can trust to help him? Marvel brings the chilling fan-favorite Haunted Mansion attraction to (after) life in the latest spine-tingling Disney Kingdoms adventure! COLLECTING: Haunted Mansion 1-5
2. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
I like this book but I am not in love with it.
I artwork is great but the story is not mind blowing
and out of this world as I would hope it would be.
But I did like the character growth of the protagonist.
"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. He was laying on his hard, as it were armor-plated, back and when he lifted his head a little he could see his domelike brown belly divided into stiff arched segments on top of which the bed quilt could hardly keep in position and was about to slide off completely. His numerous legs, which were pitifully thin compared to the rest of his bulk, waved helplessly before his eyes."
With this startling, bizarre, yet surprisingly funny first opening, Kafka begins his masterpiece, The Metamorphosis. It is the story of a young man who, transformed overnight into a giant beetle-like insect, becomes an object of disgrace to his family, an outsider in his own home, a quintessentially alienated man. A harrowing -- though absurdly comic -- meditation on human feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and isolation, The Metamorphosishas taken its place as one of the most widely read and influential works of twentieth-century fiction. As W.H. Auden wrote, "Kafka is important to us because his predicament is the predicament of modern man."
I love the mind vs body theme of this book but
Franz Kafka's writing is kinda draggy and the
characters are very annoying and unlikable.
WICKED WICKED LOVE is a USA Today Bestseller
After escaping abusive parents and, later, an abusive relationship, Sarah Beckley has spent a lifetime watching snakes shed their skin. With two small children to care for and another on the way, she's finally found a home in Peaceful Harbor with the brother she hasn't seen in more than a decade. She's still searching for her sister, but life is good. If only she could stop thinking about the sinfully sexy doctor/biker who has taken to her children like a loving uncle-and to her like a hungry man.
Trust doesn't come easily for Sarah, but Bones Whiskey is patient and protective, amazing with her children, and he looks at her like she is the only woman he could ever want-and more. With two little ones underfoot, Sarah expects him to move on quickly, yet with every tender kiss and each trying moment with the children, Bones surprises her. But will the fiercely loyal biker stick around when Sarah's worst secret is revealed, or will he shed his skin, too?
Wicked Whiskey Love is an emotional ride.
There were times where I was grinning so hard because
of sweet dialogues between Bones and Sarah and there were
times where I was crying because of Sarah's background story.
The book is filled with dimensions due to real emotions embedded by the storyline.
See full review here
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named John Gabriel Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.
I love the story and the characters in this book.
Definitely one of my favorite classic stories. I just felt
that it was too short and that story development is
very quick and abrupt.
We are in Transylvania; and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things.
Earnest and naive solicitor Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to organise the estate of the infamous Count Dracula at his crumbling castle in the ominous Carpathian Mountains. Through notes and diary entries, Harker keeps track of the horrors and terrors that beset him at the castle, telling his fiance Mina of the Count's supernatural powers and his own imprisonment. Although Harker eventually manages to escape and reunite with Mina, his experiences have led to a mental breakdown of sorts. Meanwhile in England, Mina's friend Lucy has been bitten and begins to turn into a vampire. With the help of Professor Van Helsing, a previous suitor of Lucy's, Seward, and Lucy's fiance Holmwood attempt to thwart Count Dracula and his attempts on Lucy and consequently Mina's life. Arguably the most enduring Gothic novel of the 19th Century, Bram Stoker's Dracula is as chilling today in its depiction of the vampire world and its exploration of Victorian values as it was at its time of publication.
I think this book is overrated. The characters are very dull
and one dimensional.
There is no character growth what-so-ever.
The pacing of the plot is slow that
I lost interest a couple of times.
Only Chrissy, a cute little Shih Tzu, can unlock this mystery!
Autumn Clarke survived the car crash that killed her parents. To help her cope with PTSD, she adopts Chrissy, a Shih Tzu with a remarkable secret. Chrissy is also the only witness to the mysterious death of her pet parent. Autumn vows to find the truth behind his death with the help of Chrissy, the neighbors and an attractive detective. Can Autumn unravel the clues while trying to heal Chrissy's trauma and overcome her own devastating emotional wounds in the midst of a dangerous murder investigation?
This book is so good. I love the characters, the story, and
how the relationship between a human and a dog is portray.
I like the representation of mental illness in this book and
how the author shows how helpful animals are especially
towards a person's emotional and mental well-being.
See my full review here
7. The Prince and The Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
One word to sum up this whole book is that
it is very adorable. The story and the artwork
is so cute. I also love that it is not your typical
fairytale love story due to the cross dressing
aspect.
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XOXO,
Isabel
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