Bossypants, by Tina Fey

And yet another post that is not about a novel... Though I'm right now in the middle of two novels, so fear not! This streak of not-novels shall be ending!

Book: Bossypants, written by Tina Fey (the awesome actress of 30 Rock, SNL, and numerous movies)

It's Like: Err, it's a memoir, so I can't exactly compare it to any novel... If you like Tina Fey's work, though, you will definitely like this book!

Summary: I can kind of do a summary for this book because it follows a linear timeline. It starts with the beginning of the author's life, as memoirs are wont to do, and follows Fey's experiences from childhood to where she is today (at publication of Bossypants, Fey was still staring in 30 Rock). She focuses mostly on stories to do with her love of theater and comedy, but includes some interesting side stories, like a hike up a mountain in college with a potential love interest and a funny-in-a-kind-of-terrible-way Honeymoon.

Notes:

• I haven't watched 30 Rock (yet...) nor did I watch SNL while Fey was a writer/actor, so I'm not very familiar with her major work. I love Mean Girls, though, which I know she wrote, so I was pretty sure I would like this book, and I was not disappointed. Fey is a very straight-forward writer. She is open about her life and accepts herself for who she is. The field of comedy can be pretty unforgiving to women, and she understands that and works through it to make sure she puts her best work out there. She's a good role model for girls that want to work in fields where women are underrepresented. 
• I love how much Fey respects and loves Amy Poehler. They always seemed to be great friends in real life, seeing them at award shows and such, and I'm glad that it wasn't just an act. They appreciate each other's talents and skills, and Fey really cannot say enough about how great of an actress and writer Poehler is. It's just really nice to see a great friendship like that. :)
• I definitely would like to read more memoirs after reading Bossypants. The only ones I had read up until this point were either for school or in graphic novel form: the former doesn't count because I had no choice in the matter, and the latter does not have enough narration for me to fully understand the author and their stories. I've heard a lot of good things about Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? so that will probably be the next memoir I read, but that might be a ways from now because I have a pile of novels stacked on my desk I want to read...

Recommendation: If you have never read a memoir before, this is the perfect chance to try it out. It's funny and uplifting, with the kind of stories that will make you laugh out loud. And it's a no-brainer to those that are Tina Fey fans that you have to read this book!

Books in Review, 2013

Alright, so I lied. I said I was going to post every day for the next few days and I didn't. I ended up working on Saturday a lot longer than planned, and on Sunday I played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for practically the entire day... So to make up for it, I decided not to write a review, but rather take a survey that one of my favorite YouTubers, The Readables, posted a few days ago. To the questions! (And subsequent answers!)

1. What was the best book of 2013?
The best book I read would have to be Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. I still don't think I have put my finger on why this book resonated with me so much, but it was completely different from anything I have ever read! It was very thought provoking and interesting, and after I finished it I had this very strong urge to recommend it to everyone I knew.

2. What was the most surprising read of 2013? (in a good way!)
Probably I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov. I have already written a review of this book, but to restate some of the points I made, it was my first serious foray into sci-fi literature and, not surprisingly, I loved it. The surprising part of this read was how it was set up. I didn't know it was more of a collection of short stories rather than a novel, but this actually worked well to get the point across.

3. What book did you read in 2013 that you recommended most?
This might be cheating a little, but I read Insurgent (Veronica Roth) in 2013 and Divergent, the first book in the series, I have definitely recommended most to people. I always tell people its like Hunger Games, but better, so everyone should read it! :)

4. What is the best series discovered in 2013?
This definitely has to go to The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. I've only read the first book in the trilogy, but it was an exciting page-turner: the kind of book you can't put down until you've finished (though my sister stole it for a few days when I was in the middle of it so she could read it...) I cannot wait to read the following books to see which direction the story goes!

5. Who is your new favorite author you discovered in 2013?
I think that will have to go to Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. While the titles of her books are terrible, I loved Perkins's writing style, characters, and plots, so what more could you want?

6. What is the best book that you've read that was out of your comfort zone?
Wow I read a lot of YA novels last year... I guess I'll going with Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Last year was the year of my first graphic novel, and I certainly want to pursue that style of novel. Persepolis was also a memoir and overall very serious, so it was very out of my comfort zone. But it was enlightening and interesting and kind of the only book that was out of my comfort zone... I'll try harder to expand my book choices this year!

7. What is the most thrilling and un-put-down-able book of 2013?
According to my book log, there were two books that I started and finished in the same day: Across the Universe, by Beth Revis and Lola and the Boy Next Door, by Stephanie Perkins. Out of these two, Across the Universe was more thrilling. It's about space travel and a girl that's hundreds of years out of her comfort zone! Very enjoyable, highly suggest it :)

8. What book did you read in 2013 that you are most likely to read in the following year?
This is definitely going to have to go to Anna and the French Kiss because... I already re-read it. I have this short and sweet YA romantic novel that I read when I'm feeling upset called Secrets, by Rebecca Jones Gunn. Anna and the French Kiss might soon become my go-to novel instead...

9. What book were you excited about and thought you would love, but didn't?
This 100 percent goes to Allegiant, by Veronica Roth. After two fantastic, almost unparalleled books, I was so excited to see how she would end the trilogy! And I was so disappointed... Not for the reason most people site (the end) but for many reasons, including but not limited to: writing style, Four and Tris's voices sounded identical, weird and complicated explanations, etc.

10. What was your favorite book cover in 2013?
Gosh this is something I don't really think about... Ummm... This one:

because it makes me happy :)

11. Who was the most memorable character of 2013?

Probably Frankie Landau-Banks from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart. While I didn't particularly like the novel and I definitely didn't like Frankie, she is a very memorable character because of her actions during the novel (I don't want to give anything away, you should probably just read it).

12. What is the most beautifully written book you read in 2013?

If you have been reading my posts, it's kind of obvious which book I'm going to choose: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (both volumes), by M. T. Anderson. His writing is so beautiful and poetic, it's quite easy to fall in love :)

13. What book made the greatest impact on you in 2013?

That would have to go to Thirteen Reasons Why. It made me think about the topic of suicide more than I ever had, as well as the implications one person, or even one encounter, can have on a person's life. It made me want to be a better person, which might sound a tad cliche, but it's most certainly true.

14. What book can't you believe you waited until 2013 to read?

This resoundingly goes to A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin. This is exactly the kind of book that I'm always looking for: super long, intricate fantasy novels. It has been recommended to me for years now, but I definitely should have picked it up sooner.

15. What is your favorite passage or quote from a book you read in 2013?

I said this in my review of Octavian Nothing, but I'll certainly say it again because it is so beautiful: "How doth all that seeks to rise burn itself to nothing."

16. What is the shortest and longest book you read in 2013?

Shortest: Persepolis with 153 pages

Longest: The Host, by Stephanie Meyer with 829 pages

17. What book had a scene in it that you have been dying to talk to someone about?

The end of The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan. Riordan is a terrible person ending it like that and I desperately need to read The House of Hades.

18. What was your favorite relationship that you read in 2013?

This is really difficult, since I read a lot of books with super adorable couples in it, but I'd have to say Linh Cinder and Prince Kai from Cinder, by Marissa Meyer. I don't know what it is, but there's something about forbidden love that makes everything so much sweeter... :)

19. What was your favorite book in 2013 by an author you have previously read?

An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green, no contest. It might be because I'm very fond of an underdog and Katherines is Green's least-read novel, but I adore how witty and clever it is :)

20. What was the best book you read in 2013 based on a recommendation from someone?

This is going to have to go to A Game of Thrones. This book was absolutely fantastic and again, I cannot believe I waited so long to read it!

21. What genre did you read the most in 2013?

If YA fiction counts as a genre, then that is basically all I read. More specifically, though, fantasy is my favorite genre and therefore most read. This might seem a little odd, but my next favorite genre would be realistic fiction, which is kind of the complete opposite of fantasy... but it was my next most read.

22. Who is your fictional crush from a book that you read in 2013?

Hands down, this goes to Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. He is an incredibly sweet, intelligent guy with a British accent, can speak French, and has a passion for history. There are no words for the intense crush I have on this man.

23. What book had the most vivid world or imagery in 2013?

There are multiple books I could choose for this question, but I think I'll go with Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. I think Bardugo goes into more description than Martin does in A Game of Thrones, though Martin has a more developed world.

24. What book made you cry in 2013?

See I don't usually cry while reading books... but I definitely got close in Looking for Alaska, by John Green.

And that's it! Sorry it's such a long post, but I'm hoping this will be a source of book recommendations for people in 2014 :) It was also very interesting to see what I read in the past year and what I want to change this year, besides reading more books!

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume 1, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

By the end of last semester I was in the middle of around five books, which is a bad habit of mine I've been trying to kick. I decided to finish those up before I start on anything new, which is why there will be new posts a few days in a row! Also, I apparently do not own Volume 2, which is a slight problem, but I'm sure I'll get my hands on it :) To the review!

Book: The Complete Sherlock Holmes: Volume I, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I should probably just officially change that category from "novel" to "book" because I keep reviewing not-novels. It's odd, I didn't think I read much else besides novels...

It's Like: Well, I mean Sherlock Holmes is kind of the classic detective; any detective story that's similar is probably based on Holmes to begin with. Technically Doyle got a number of ideas from Edgar Allen Poe's stories about detective Dupin... but Holmes is the one that became the household name.

Summary: At this point, I probably should just forgo this section; it hasn't helped much in the last few posts, and it certainly won't help in a collection of Holmes stories... Though it is important for novels, so I guess I'll keep it around for the next time I review a novel, which *SPOILERS* won't be for a few posts.

Notes:

• There are many collections of Doyle's famous stories. The one that I possess is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition that has Holmes stories chronologically by publication: from A Study in Scarlet to The Hound of the Baskervilles. There are way too many stories to review (and I, umm, started reading it a long time ago and forgot a lot of the earlier stories...) so I'll just pick a few of my favorites and talk about those. Sound good? 
• Well, I mean you can't really respond to my question, so it doesn't matter if it sounds good to you or not...
• Though I appreciate feedback!
• Too bad you can't give feedback in real time... Like live blogging? But then you'd see how atrocious these posts are before I edit them and how many mistakes I make spelling-wise... Probably a bad idea. :/
• Anyways...
• A Study in Scarlet: It's a very odd and convoluted case, and it is easy to tell that it is Doyle's first attempt at a detective story. There is very long section of narration of the murderer's back story, which has been considered tedious by some. Doyle is a great writer, but he figured out pretty quickly that people liked his stories for Holmes's personality, actions, and deductions, which is why his other stories don't really have sections of narration like this. I thought the somewhat tangential back story was interesting, even though Doyle ended up having to apologize profusely for the way he portrayed Mormons in it. It's a well-developed story and gives just enough information about the main characters, Watson and Holmes, for later stories (giving a lot of information is unnecessary in detective stories since they are plot, rather than character, driven).
• The Adventure of the Red-Headed League: I'm not quite sure why I like this story so much. It might be because the plot is rather silly... I really enjoy the idea of getting paid for sitting in a room for hours copying the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica for some reason! I think it's because it sounds like something I would do, honestly. I would definitely get carpel tunnel from it, though... It is also focused on gingers, whom I, like John Green, am very partial towards :)
• A Scandal in Bohemia: This will forever be my favorite Sherlock Holmes story for one reason: Irene Adler, a.k.a. "the woman." It's also why Season 2, Episode 1 of Sherlock is my favorite! Holmes is an almost invincible character, a man that can always find the answers and is very rarely beaten to them. Now I wouldn't consider myself a super feminist, but I adore strong female characters (Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Hermione Granger, and Tris Prior to name a few) and I applaud Doyle making a woman one of the only characters that has outsmarted Holmes and that Holmes sees almost on par with him intellectually. My only wish is that Doyle wrote another story with her...

Recommendation: For any Sherlock fans out there, you should really read the original stories, if only to satisfy your cravings between episodes of the third season. For the rest of you, Sherlock Holmes is a classic so you should probably read it anyways. :)

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh

I debated whether or not to write a post about this book, since it's more of a compilation of illustrated stories written by Allie about her life, about half of which can be seen on her website, http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com (it's where the below meme is from, though the original text is changed to my personal mantra). I really shouldn't review it the same way I do other novels, but then again, I'm always up for a challenge. :)

Book: Hyperbole and a Half, written and illustrated by Allie Brosh

It's Like: There isn't much  you can compare it to, really. It is so very strange and weird and wonderful, you know only Brosh could have written it.

Summary: Uh oh, my usual outline for posts is failing me... I can't summarize a book that has no overall plot! I think I'll just copy what it says on the back of the book because it is a great introduction to Brosh's writing style:

"This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn't me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I'm not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly.

"So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

• Pictures.
• Words.
• Stories about things that happened to me.
• Stories about things that happened to other people because of me.
• Eight billion dollars.*
• Stories about dogs.
• The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!"

Notes:

• I think Allie is really amusing and very creative in the way she tells stories. The new stories in the book are interesting and on par, quality-wise, with those that can be found on her blog. There are some stories from her blog that I would have preferred being in the book, however. I think it's because she was focused on making more of a memoir than a collection of blog posts, but here are some of my favorite posts that didn't make the cut: Spiders are Scary, The Alot is Better than You at Everything, and How a Fish Almost Destroyed my Childhood.
• I read a fair number of blogs and a trait I have noticed with a log of bloggers is that they suffer from anxiety and a fear that their readers will not appreciate what they create. Of course, the large majority of readers love everything that the bloggers make and the bloggers know that their fear is irrational, but it does not prevent them from sometimes going months without posting anything new. Allie is one of these bloggers. She's spent a lot of time working though depression and anxiety while working on this book and I know all of her longtime readers, like myself, are very proud of her.
• Along those lines, I noticed a number of her stories were focused on how Allie interacts with the world and how she has dealt with depression and insecurity. I would consider it darker humor than what I'm used to from her and it therefore made me slightly... uncomfortable I guess? I thought these stories were really interesting and amusing at times, but I don't think I enjoyed them as much as someone who could relate to Allie's situation.

Recommendation: I believe I might have scared off some potential readers with the notes that I wrote; I wasn't exactly uplifting... My suggestion is to read her blog, especially the "Best Of" stories that can be seen on the right side of the page and get to know Allie Brosh a little before reading her book. Its easier to understand Allie's stories and how she portrays herself once you have taken the time to learn how awesome she is. :)

A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

Sorry about the obscenely long time between posts. Last semester was very difficult, and while I did read a few books I didn't really have time to write blog posts, and I doubt I'll be able to next semester either :/ I will certainly try to though! One of my New Years resolutions is to be more productive and procrastinate less, so we'll see... On to the review!

Novel: A Game of Thrones, written by George R. R. Martin

It's Like: Lord of the Rings mixed with Eragon might be the best parallel.

Summary: Wow, this is going to be difficult without spoilers... Alright, here it goes. Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, is asked by the king and very close friend, Robert Baratheon, to become "the hand of the King," which basically means that he will run the kingdom while Robert plays the figurehead. Though Eddard has qualms, he accepts the position and leaves his home for the south with some of his children--his wife (Catelyn) and the rest of his children stay. And from there, everything goes down hill, in the style that Martin has perfected.

Notes:

• Whenever I hear the name "George R. R. Martin," I immediately think of "J.R.R. Tolkien," probably because they both have the "R.R."s. I know that Martin holds Tolkien in high regards and that can be sensed throughout A Game of Thrones. The main difference between the two is that while Martin is a great writer, he doesn't focus on description of characters and scenery, at least to the extent that Tolkien does, probably because each individual book from A Song of Ice and Fire is approximately the same length as the entirety of Lord of the Rings... I personally love Tolkien's pages upon pages of description, but I wouldn't say that the lack of such writing in A Game of Thrones detracts from the novel's overall quality.
• A Game of Thrones is quite long, and while I can usually sit for hours reading, I sometimes felt like I had to stop reading after a few hours because there was so much going on with so many characters and subplots. Now I'm not saying that it isn't an interesting and intriguing story line, because it is! It was just a lot to handle for an extended period of time. 
• Along those same lines, the number of characters is INSANE. It takes a while to learn all of them, but its not too difficult to remember the ones that are important (though "Tyrion" and "Tywin" got me for a while). If you get desperate, there is an Appendix in the back with all of the houses and main families. Or make your own list! Lots of effort but honestly it would probably be worth it.
• I love how Martin splits up the story between people, though sometimes I would flip forward, desperate to find the next time that character spoke. I really like the third-person-somewhat-omniscient because you get the thoughts of the character currently speaking and a lot of their personality, but you don't have the limited perspective of first-person or first-person bias.

Recommendation: I would say that this book is certainly not for everyone. There are "adult themes," if you catch my drift, as well as "fantasy themes," which are some people find more difficult to handle... :) But if you are responsible adult that enjoys interesting and intense fantasy novels and spending hours on end wrapped in a book, then you seriously need to read Game of Thrones, like right now.