.review – Page 14 – The Constellation of Moon

Help, Thanks, Wow Review

Posted on December 20, 2018

This will be a short informal style review, with “spoilers” as this is a non fiction book.

I don’t talk much about religion because I believe religion is a personal choice and if someone asks I am happy to talk about it, but in general I don’t really feel like pushing my thoughts and beliefs to others (nor do I want them to push theirs to me, thank you very much). However, this review will talk a bit about religion, so feel free to skip it.

Before I bought this book and it arrived I had been in a bit of a rut. I felt sad, kind forgotten and felt like I wanted to believe more, but at the same time, I am not big on churches, so wanted something that would refresh my faith and my brain. I prayed that the next book that I decided to read of non fiction would be the right one.

It was. Help, Thanks, Wow is written by Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird (one of those books that are recommended reading about how to write). And mostly it explains what she calls the 3 essential prayers. You can “sum up” all prayers into one. And I have to say it makes sense. I have never been one to pray a long flowery litany of words out loud. My prayers are full of doubts, questions, anger, pleas and so much more, they are raw. And I kept thinking this was not the best as I couldn’t pray the way others do.

This little book however explains that your prayers can be so simple. A “Help me God/being/universe/whatever, I just can’t cope with the world today” is perfectly fine. It also reminds you that each day is a new day and that things don’t work perfectly, so your prayers aren;t answered the way you want them to. This made me smile, because I hate it when people tell you that your prayer wasn’t answered because you didn’t pray hard enough or something is wrong with you, or things like that.

It can also be a “Thanks for letting something happen (or not)”. Which I tend to do a lot for example I pray “thanks for letting me catch the bus in time”. They are really short, and I do them throughout bthe day (peppered with the Help ones too).

The final prayer is “Wow”. This is are for the breathtaking, for the surprises, for the sunset or sunrise that is just amazing. For that letting out the breath you didn’t realise you were holding…

Reading through it all was refreshing and made me feel like I wasn’t all the wrong and that having questions and challenging beliefs (in my own beliefs) is not a problem or something to be afraid of. Questions, pleas, anger, are good. It means it is a faith that is alive. And I like that. This little book gave me a new breath, a refresh and it was quick and easy and good to read.

I am glad I read it and I have got some more of her books to read once I need a pump of energy and faith.

Book Review, Books

A Storm of Ice and Stars Review

Posted on November 18, 2018

A Storm of Ice and Stars by Lisa Lueddecke

Ice, myth, magic and danger in this bone-chilling, page-turning, beautifully written fantasy novel set in the same world as A SHIVER OF SNOW AND SKY. Blood-red lights have appeared in the sky over the frozen island of Skane, causing a cloak of fear and suspicion to fall over the village like a blanket of snow. In a desperate attempt to keep out the plague, the village elders barricade its borders – no-one, no matter how in need of help, will be permitted to enter in case they bring infection with them. Teenager Janna refuses to turn her back on people seeking refuge and is banished to the swirling snow and lurking darkness beyond the village. Can she survive?

Rating:

This is a prequel sequel (as in it’s the second book but it technically happens before book 1). And those usually turn interesting in one way or another.

For me, this one had the same lovely prose and the same interesting Skane dynamics that where in A Shiver of Snow and Sky, but I struggled a little because as much as it was close the first one, it was too close.

There were times when it felt too much the same, too similar. Yes, the story is interesting and it is a good backstory, answers some “questions” if you’d like and makes Osa even more special in a different way. But on the other hand it is a book of leaving the village and being sp[ecial and not fitting fully in the village. And the quest to get to the end of a thing. Both did it, and it helped Skane.

Still, I love Siiva and Enja and wish the story told us more about them and Solvi, rather than just Janna spending most of the quest mulling over Solvi. I know grief is an interesting thing, but considering in Skane people die relatively frequently and easily and Janna manages to be near the ones that die, you would expect her to get over it a little bit better (or if not, to have had the rest of the villagers go “hey, you’re an adult, we all need to survive here, no free lodgers!”, specially considering the village is all for closing borders and not helping those who don’t help themselves).

Moon recommends

Somehow as mcuh as this is a prequel, it is best to read the original first, so I recommend A Shiver of Snow and Sky.

Book Review, Books

Lumberjanes Vol. 1 Review

Posted on November 12, 2018

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Lumberjanes Vol 1 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Shannon Waters

FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Collects Lumberjanes No. 1-4

Rating:

So as you know I have read Nimona and recently I have gone back to graphic novels/manga (I know they are not the same, it is more that I am reading more of both). I used to read a lot of both then just slowed down and now my love for them has been renewed.

This was one of those graphic novels that are a lot about craziness and characters rather than a big plot. It feels like the authors are trying hard to include as many crazy things as possible into one group of girl scouts.

I can’t say I fell in love with it as it left me feeling oddly confused and unsure if I liked it or wasn’t that crazy but I have heard good things about it and I want to give it a chance, so I have bought the next volume and will read it then see what comes next.

It isn’t the crazy kind of graphic novel as Monstress is, this is definitely more about fun craziness and just about the experience of being a scout, however, I have never been one or known anyone that has, so maybe that makes this harder to appreciate? No crazy camp experiences either.

It does make me smile to read it and it was quick and “light” so if you want some kind of mindless fun this is probably it with a touch of bizarre just to make sure.

Moon recommends

I’d suggest starting with Lumberjanes if you fancy the experience. Since Noelle Stevenson is part of the minds behind this, why not try Nimona? Or maybe you’d like to try Moonstruck? They’re both good in different ways.

Book Review

Getting Lost and Finding Oneself

Posted on November 8, 2018

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby

Bri and Mari are cousins, and growing up, also best friends and soul mates. But over the teenage years they lose touch, and their lives develop in somewhat opposite directions. While Bri travels the world, hikes crazy mountains and make new friends, Mari chooses a more shallow path; that of a social media influencer. Cooking pretend (photo suitable) meals, dating a pretend (social media hot-shot) boyfriend, she’s lost touch not only with Bri, but also with their common dreams of future adventures. But then suddenly, everything changes. Bri loosing her step on a steep climb, and Mari receiving her diary and backpack on what would’ve been their shared eighteenth birthday, sets Mari off in a new direction. One of hiking, exploring, and in a way recapturing the relationship with her now gone cousin. This is a story about getting lost on trails, and finding oneself when trying to get on the right way back.

Rating 🐖🐖🐖

Starting this book, I really thought I was going to love it. The cousin friendship, the growing apart, the mountain climbing and cute illustrations and handwritten passages from Bri’s diary – I just knew I was in for a treat. The story set off well, with Mari taking on the erratic landscape, while leaving everything she knew behind.

Then, however, nothing much happened. Sure, she climbed some more mountains. Made some friends (and there’s a love story in there too). Found out some things about Bri. But pretty fast, there was nothing more to the story than depictions of blisters, beautiful sunsets and quotes about finding oneself.

I really liked the concept of this book, but ironically enough, Mari’s journey towards finding her true self is plotted with the typical kind of shallow quotes that she wanted to get away from when leaving the influencer life behind. It is however a cute, easy read and pleasant feel good story, and if that’s what you’re looking for, The Other Side of Lost is a good option.

Dr. Bea approves

If you’re in for more wild life adventures, Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer might be your next read.

Book Review, Books

Nine Review

Posted on November 2, 2018

Nine by Zach Hines

In an alternate world startlingly close to our own, humans have nine lives—and they can’t wait to burn straight through them.

As you shed lives, you shed your awkward phases: one death is equal to one physical and mental upgrade. Julian’s friends are obsessed with the idea of burning lives, but Julian is determined to stay on his first for as long as he can. His mother, the ultimate cautionary tale, burned through her first eight in just a few years, and Julian has no intention of succumbing to the debilitating rebirth sickness that she inflicted on herself.

But the regime has death incentives aimed at controlling overpopulation, and Julian realizes that he’s going to have to burn at some point—especially when he becomes a target for Nicholas, the manipulative leader of the Burners, the school’s suicide club. And when Julian eventually succumbs, he uncovers suspicious gaps in the rebirth system that may explain exactly why his mother went so far down the rabbit hole years ago. Along with a group of student dissenters, Julian sets out to find answers and is soon on the verge of exposing the greatest conspiracy ever unleashed on the world.

He has just eight more lives to uncover the brutal truth.

Rating:

The concept of this book intrigued me very much, and I knew it may not be a “popular” book that everyone wanted to read, but it definitely had me at the premise.

What would I do with 9 lives, and also, how do you cope with rebirth? How do people come back to life? There were so many questions. So many of them. And some never got answered, however, one things this book did was a great world bulding (not that it shows itself like a word vomit, thankfully) and it gave you information as you needed (not exactly when you wanted it, but it was worth waiting to find out how they were reborn, what happened as you died.

There was also a lot of intersting characters, and it posed a question on suicide and death.

And population control, as the goverment gives economical incentives for families to reach a certain “lives expended” quotient so that they can earn more or get better jobs/promotions, or better homes/neighbourhoods. And it was interesting to see how it had been posed in this book and made me wonder if we had those lives how it would be controlled.

I think I would’ve been one of those that stayed at her first life for as long as possible as the panicky anxious part of me would think “but what if someone runs me over? or a fire happens? I may loose a life then and what if I was already on my 8th or something like that?”

All in all it was a much creepier read than I expected it to be, but it was also extremely interesting and it kept me hooked.

Moon recommends

Read Nine for a spooky creepy look at life that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A book that kept comign to mind as read this was Scythe which treats the whole “immortality” in a different way but also ponders what humanity does when death isn’t somethign that happens in the same way it used to.

Book Review

The Boneless Mercies Review

Posted on October 29, 2018

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

A dark standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory.

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life.

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies’ one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Rating:

It took me a little to get into this book. Mostly because it starts with a death and that is an interesting way of starting (it reminded me a little of palliative care). However, once I got more familiar with the world and what being a Mercy meant, then it became easier to follow.

It is like a lyrical epic quest story and there was beauty about that, as it was also intriguing to learn about all the ways of seeing the world that each “group” had. A witches war, the quicks, and so many others that made me want to know more about each of them.

Another interesting thing was the way relationships exist here and how things just flow and happen. There’s a lack of judgement that was strange and magical to read, and it was interesting to see that woven intot he tale. You never know for sure what is going on.

I also loved the actual monster fight, but not a lot to say since I do not want to spoil it, but it had a thing I liked and didn’t like and it was refreshing to see.

Moon recommends

Reading The Boneless Mercies. I haven’t read such a lyrical feminist adventure in a while (combined, I have read one or the other) and it was good to read. I am not entirely sure what kind of book fits with it so hard to suggest something else. Maybe Fallible Justice, even if it is a little different in style (it is urban fantasy rather than just fantasy).

Book Review, Books

Jinxed Review

Posted on September 27, 2018

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch

Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the “baku” – a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn’t been accepted into Profectus – the elite academy for cutting edge tech – it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one.

Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems … real.

Rating:

The first chapter after the prologue had me complete head over heels with it. My engineer’s heart adored reading about a teenager soldering (because I did it too, and worked with circuits, bread boards, etc).

I loved seeing a girl being the one behind the electronics with a female “hero”, role model, and also having at heart the fact that she wants to make things better for her mother who has done a lot for her.

The concept of the baku was also delightful, though I admit a few parts of it puzzled me (like the leash, they pierce your ear but is the leashing wireless, wired, or how does it work? also, piercings take a long time to heal the nasty things, so it’d be quite intriguing that it works so immediately), but all in all I am liking the concept. I can see pros and cons for it and that makes me happy because I work in technology so this was definitely the book for me.

I wasn’t too keen on the romance, but I can see why Lacey would feel the way she did. Also, Jinx is a fun character and seeing him grow too alongside Lacey was wonderful. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Moon recommends

So if you are (or used to be) a teenager that is into technology or is intrigued by it, definitely recommend this cute book. You can also check Amy’s other books, Potion Diaries.

Book Review

The Gilded King Review

Posted on September 21, 2018

The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey

In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.

Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.

But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.

Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.

One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do.

Rating:

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book really pulled some punches on me. Starting with the fact at first I just couldn’t get into Cam’s chapters as much and part of me wanted to get through with them to go back to Julia’s.

And then all of a sudden I felt completely the opposite and I wanted more Cam chapters than Julia’s.

Not that either was bad, but more that at times one was more intriguing to me than the other. The concept of The Silvers/Nobles/Izcacus/etc is neat and I like that even a little bit of Lestat was into this book. They don’t glitter (yes!, thousand times yes!) and they are in a much more futuristic setting rather than going to the past or the present/contemporary.

Instead you have an intriguing dystopia that keeps you asking questions and trying to figure out which side is right, why are they doing what they are doing, and who exactly is right and wrong in their assumptions. I breezed through it and really loved. Then I realised that the next one isn’t out yet (why are you doing this to me world?!).

Moon Recommends

So, I guess my advice this time is to buy this one, preorder A Bargain in Silver and go curl up into a ball until it comes out and you can read more about Emmy.

Book Review

Orgo Runners: The First Collection Review

Posted on September 19, 2018

Orgo Runners: The First Collection by R.J. Furness (Illustrations by Amy Leslie)

R.J. Furness, author of the “dissent” books, brings you Orgo Runners…

This the first of many AMAZING adventures, featuring the orgo!!

In a future ice-age…

Living in Port Harmony, Fayth and her friends are among the greatest at riding orgo! But when they are forced to become Food Runners, they embark on a dangerous journey to deliver supplies to Scorr Tanta.

Will their skill at riding orgo help them succeed in their mission?

Rating:

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start this by saying I love my little orgo and if you follow me on Twitter you may have seen Trey going on adventures under the tags #iwantanorgo and #orgoadventures. The latest one was visiting Paddington Bear.

So now unto the actual review of the book.

The first few pages I read were very confusing and it took me a little bit to actually get into the story (I just felt like I was thrown into it and couldn’t grasp well what was going on). But afterwards, it started on a good foot and stayed there. I love the creatures, do not like the way people are treated.

Without spoiling much, I can say that the subplots in each adventure (and in all adventures over all because some carry over) keep you wanting to go on reading just to figure out if your guess is right, or if they’ll make it, or what new thing Ink will manage to produce and use.

It is also lovely they are a rag tag bunch of teenagers trying to make the most of their lives and managing as best as they can (and the fact that they don’t have everything in control, or all the answers at any given moment was refreshing to read, and to see them fail sometimes and just wipe off the dust and keep trying a different way).

The little search game had me looking for them in every illustration until I figured it out (the illustrations are very cute too and made it a bit easier to imagine things) which was a lovely bonus to the book (and I found them all! woohoo).

Moon recommends

Try out Orgo Runners. I would also recommend checking out The Apprentice Witch.

Book Review

It Ends With You Review

Posted on September 17, 2018

It Ends With You by S. K. Wright

‘If I’d told the truth, it would have been fiction’

Everyone loves Eva. Beautiful, bright, fun, generous – she’s perfect.

So when her dead body is found in a ditch in the local woods the only thing anyone wants to know is: Who could have done this?

It has to be Luke, her boyfriend. He has the motive, the means, the opportunity and he’s no stranger to the police.

Even though the picture is incomplete, the pieces fit. But as time passes, stories change.

Told from six narrative strands, this cleverly woven and utterly compulsive novel challenges preconceptions; makes you second, third and fourth guess yourself; and holds an uncomfortable mirror up to the way societies and systems treat those they perceive to be on the outside

Rating:

The best way to describe this book is to say that it started not too creepy and then it kept throwing plot twists at you that were surprising.

I loved finding out all of Eva’s “dirty” secrets and seeing how even then everyone was still sure Luke had done (despite the evidence that was shown). It was also sad to see how people react when someone comes from a less privileged background or are just different and that was quite interesting to read too.

The many relationships between families, between friends, between couples, and teachers, students, figures of authority and in general society were quite interesting to see.

The format made it fun to read (I do wonder if it will “age” well, as who knows how long some of the things used will stay). And even though I usually do not like having too many POV, this book makes the most of it and does it well.

Moon recommends

Read It Ends With You, I read it really fast and didn’t want to put it down. You may also enjoy One of Us is Lying or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (coming out next year). They’re all along the same vibe and lines and all good to read.